


In flamezesz

by francoantoniohierro



Series: Love will scares us apart [1]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Anal Sex, Demons, Depression, Frank Iero/Gerard Way - Freeform, Ghosts, Halloween, Horror, M/M, MCR, Oral Sex, Sexual Content, Smut, Supernatural - Freeform, Top!Frank, Vampires, Violence, blowjob, bottom!Gerard, i don't know m8, i'm sorry i don't know how this tags work, my chemical romance - Freeform, shy!Gerard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-02-04 05:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12764214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/francoantoniohierro/pseuds/francoantoniohierro
Summary: Haunted House AU. Frank Iero is looking for answers after the death of his best friend. The only people willing to help are the Way brothers. On the other hand, the Way brothers are two paranormal experts looking for amusement.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was supposed to post this story on halloween … but i got carried away with college and shit ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ i hope someone enjoys this... happy (late november and) halloween! ps. the name (and most of the story) is inspired by the wavves song "Flamezesz"

1

“What happens if… we don’t find anything?”

Bob parked the car as close to the house as possible. For the past week or so, he had kept surveillance in that street. He wanted to be prepared for everything. Every single detail about them was important. He knew at what hour the neighborhood went to sleep. When the lights went out in their houses. When the entire street was quiet. He knew when it would be the perfect time to **GO IN**.

It was the wrong question to ask him. The whole thing was decided already. The man was determined to keep the whole thing going. It was happening. We weren’t going to back down because of questions like that. Regardless of whatever I could said, we were going in. Bob was too far gone. To him, the solution to every single one of our problems was inside that house. It was just waiting for us to get them.

“We will.” He replied still looking at the building. After a few moments of silence he added: “If we can’t find money, we can still find some shit to sell. That bitch could have some expensive jewelry inside. Or a good television. There has to be something we can use. It is a big house”

The two of us watched the place in silence. None of the lights inside were on from what we could tell. All of the curtains were down. The binoculars were not helping us either. It was impossible to know what was happening inside. All we knew was that it was (probably) very dark. But even that wasn’t certain when it came to that house.

At night, the lights go in and out. You can hear the doors open and close constantly. As if the place had many guests over. Other strange sounds were detectable, but they were impossible for us to recognize. All of that happened inside the house constantly. Ask around, the neighbors say that they have even seen _people_ in it. People that were definitely not the owner. The neighbors can all agree that the place is strange. They’ll tell you that you shouldn’t go anywhere near it at night. _“Shit happens in that place. Really weird shit”_ was one of the comments that Bob had gathered.

But during the day time the house looks completely empty. The owner is a woman about 80 years old. Like most people her age, she doesn't seem to be kept busy. She’s retired and doesn’t get visitors very often. She does go out at times, Bob has told me, but not much. It makes sense. She’s in a wheelchair and lives alone. So she must struggle quite a bit with shopping and whatnot. I don’t know. Bob’s the one who's stalking that poor woman.

“I mean, Mrs. Hanlock is really old. For all we know that house could be stocked with useless dolls or something. We don’t know if there's something valuable there, man. You have to consider that”

Unlike Bob, I had grown up near that neighborhood. Oh, i had heard plenty of stories about that house. Enough for a lifetime. The noises, the shadows, the lights; everything seemed to happen inside that place. The stories were a good way to keep the kids scared. As a kid, hearing one the many stories about Hanlock’s house made me not want to come out at night. Or go out alone. They were effective at its job. Although (I had imagined) highly exaggerated for entertainment purposes.

None of the stories involved Mrs. Hanlock’s fortune, though. So I assumed that there probably wasn’t one. It was the type of thing that, if true, would have been known by everyone in the area.

But Bob was **convinced** of it. Like the motherfucker had seen it with his very eyes.

“We’ll find something.”  
Bob said once again.

We had been planning everything for about a month. Or Bob had, anyway. He had plenty of free time.

At the beginning of the year our band had split up for good. Now, the two of us were unemployed and planning to rob an elderly woman. Needles to say, we were having some struggles with money at the time. Selling the old instruments and the band gear had not helped much. Putting employment applications in every restaurant in town had not helped us. Reading the newspaper every single day and checking the classified section had not helped at all either. The things that kept us sane were: a) complaining about our parents b) our lack of money c) and about how pathetic we felt. Sure, complaining didn’t help us out either, but it made us feel better.

But then Bob started talking about Hanlock’s house.

That’s when things started to change a lot between us. Bob had met someone - a reliable source that I hadn’t- saying that Hanlock was loaded. _Why else would someone her age be living in such a huge house? Cuz’ she has plenty to go around. She can afford a big ass house, nice furniture, and even more._ The person had told Bob that it had to do with Hanlock inheriting money from her husband. _He died of unnatural causes too. You’ve heard that? Curious, isn’t it?_

The stranger had also told Bob that the old woman was mostly senile. That she was unaware of most things happening around her. Pretty much all the time. There was a reason as to why she almost never went outside. The stranger did not tell him explicitly that he should rob her. He did not need to. The stranger merely gossiped about her life for his own entertainment. Bob’s mind did the rest.

So Bob had ended up talking to **me** about it, and about how amazing the opportunity was for the both of us. _“Easy money”_ he would say _“Easy fuckin’ money. There's no doubt about it”_. The idea consumed him for weeks. It was something that had changed him.  
Bob talked about committing a crime. And possibly hurting an elderly woman. He talked about how it could change our lives forever. And he was absolutely right about that.

It didn’t take much before I gave in. I knew where Hanlock lived and had passed that house many times before. It didn’t sound like a big deal to me. At least not when I drunkenly said I’d do it. I mean, there was only supposed to be one person in the house after all. And said person was a senior. It sounded like things would probably be easy. We got a gun, some ski masks and got it over with in almost no time! It seemed stupid not to at least try.

Things felt different now that we were so close to the house, though.

Because now it was actually happening. In a matter of days, we were going to get in that house and “change our lives forever”. I had never done anything like it. I wasn't a criminal. In fact, I had never used a gun in my entire life. I was just tagging along in case Bob actually found something of value there. But I had no real desire to go through with it. I simply wasn’t made for that type of thing.

It was wrong of me to get involved. I already felt wary just being close to that place. I did not want to be inside **“Hanlock’s house of horrors”**.

For the first time in years I was looking at that ominous place. There was no logical reason for me to be scared, but I was.

I didn’t want to believe the stories. But I had a bad feeling about everything. Something was wrong.

2

The first step was getting into the backyard.

That part was not too difficult. We were grown men that could easily jump a fence. Even Bob, who was **NOT** in a good physical shape, had no issues. Jumping the fence only took us about two minutes. We landed on the grass, got up like nothing had happened. We were in. No one had noticed a thing.

Once we were in the backyard; the next step was finding an entrance. Bob immediately went towards one of the windows. He said that he could break the glass with a punch. And no, he was not drunk when he said this. That was just the way Bob’s brain worked. I felt skeptical about his capacities to do so.

Instead, I tried with the backdoor. Didn’t expect anything from it, but it felt stupid not to try. The door then opened without a struggle. Somebody had forgotten to lock the door. Or something wanted us to come in. Regardless, Bob quickly followed me towards the entry. If i’m honest, he looked pretty disappointed that he did not got to punch a damn window.

Either way, we were going inside the house. The plan was still going. Next step would be to look for Hanlock’s room - where we assumed she kept her valuable stuff. We were going to look through all of her shit and hopefully not disturb her. Last step? Getting the hell out as fast as possible. Nothing else. If she had a problem with it, Bob had a gun for it. He could deal with her.

Thing is, the last two steps did not work out as easily for us. We had no idea what we had gotten into.

The backdoor lead us to the kitchen. All the lights inside were out. There was no one in sight. It was just me, and what I thought was Bob’s shadow. Together inside a complete stranger’s house.

We didn't even bother with getting proper flashlights. This because we thought that the lantern from our phones would be enough. We were sorely mistaken about that. The lights from our phones were not helping much. It was still very difficult to walk across the unknown things in that place.

It was also draining all the battery out of our phones too. But we didn't realize at the time. We were trying to focus on the “plan”. There was no way of stopping it now.

We moved towards the living room. Still no signs of someone else in the house.

The living room was even darker. It was very hard to move through it. The lights from our phones were becoming useless. They barely produced enough light to walk for more than a couple of steps. And even then, it still had us accidentally hitting walls and moving pieces of furniture around.

Bob was going faster than me as if everything was fine. I don't think he was scared at all. He made his way into the living room as if it was his own place. No struggles. Like he had lived his entire damn life in the damn shadows. I could hear his steps all over the place. I wondered if someone else could hear them too. We weren’t being careful enough.

“Upstairs”  
He whispered. He was getting near the bottom of the stairs already, but I couldn't. It was too dark, and I was having a hard time staying orientated. I couldn't even tell where his voice was coming from. I just knew that he was far away. The whole thing was making me nervous.

I did not want to get lost. Not inside that house.

“Where?”  
I asked. It was a lot louder than it should have been. I don't even know why. Maybe I wanted someone to find me, honestly. Someone who could get us out. Any excuse to leave before it was too late.

The house didn't feel welcoming. It was cold. Dark. And, most importantly, we had no real clue of what we could find inside it. I wasn't sure I wanted to find anything inside it anymore. Something about that place was off. It was a feeling that I could not get rid of. It's not something I can put into words. The aura of the place was menacing. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.

Maybe I wanted Mrs. Hanlock to find us and kick us the hell out. Maybe the cops even. Anyone. Any excuse. Either way, it wasn’t what happened next.

Instead, a loud smack. Bob falls into the floor. It was too dark for me to see anything though. So, I don't know the details. I only got to hear the sound of furniture moving, and the impact of Bob hitting the ground. The light from his phone then disappeared. Things were even darker now.

“Fuck!” If Hanlock had not heard us before, she certainly had now. The sound of Bob’s scream was impossible to ignore “Did you move it!?”

“What?”  
I was still whispering, but it had no point. Bob had already alerted everyone that we were there. Our presence was not a secret anymore.

“Did you move the fucking couch?” He asked. He sounded genuinely upset. As if I would sabotage my own damn crime “Jesus, fucking’- the fuckin’ couch wasn't there! Why did you move it?!”

“I didn't. Keep it down, man. What's wrong with you?”

“She heard that! You fuckin’ idiot! You’re ruining everything! What the fuck are we gonna do?”

He sounded angry. It made sense considering that we were under tons of pressure. But at the same time Bob was not like that at all. When Bob got frustrated he would laugh about the situation. Bob was not the type to yell in rage. He wasn’t being himself. It was only making me feel leerier.

“I didn't move anything. You should have been more careful”

Silence took over the room for a couple of minutes. Perhaps Bob had realized how irrational he sounded. Or maybe something else had gotten his attention. Hell, for all that I knew, maybe the guy was gone.

The silence was not helping me calm down. It only made me focus on something that I didn't want to think about. A noise. A noise that I couldn't distinguish. It was too subtle to identify it. But in the middle of that lonesome house, it was impossible for me not to notice it. The mysterious noise didn’t seem to have a source. I couldn’t tell if it was coming from my left, my right, upstairs…

I wondered if Bob could hear that noise too. I wondered if he was trying to ignore it the way that I was.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

The noise continued. It was so subtle. But my mind couldn't stop going back to it. Surely it had to be some type of house appliance. Maybe an old clock. Maybe there was a leakage somewhere. There had to be some banal explanation like that. Sadly, I couldn't quite think of one. The thoughts I was having were different. What if it was Mrs. Hanlock? What if it was the sound of someone sharpening a knife? What if it was the sound of something bad?

Bob had to be hearing it too. Why wasn't he saying anything? Was I imagining it? Where could the sound even come from?

“Dude, I don't think she's in the house. She would be here by now.”  
Was my next observation. Didn’t even bother whispering anymore. It didn’t make any difference.

Sure, I was still scared, but Hanlock was not one of my worries. There was something else that made me feel uncomfortable.

“We can't be sure.”

“But-”

“Well, let's check!” He was using that tone again. A very aggressive one that I had never heard from him before “If we find her, I'm the one that ties her up! I’ll put the gun in her head and she won’t say a thing! Frank, we didn't get here for nothing”

It wasn't worth it. It was so not worth it. He sounded intimidating though. Like I could be the one to end up tied up or something. My friend had changed a lot in the span of a few weeks. Now that we were locked alone in that house it was impossible to ignore it. Something was wrong. The house was only making it clearer.

Everything was wrong.

“She could be calling the cops right now!”  
Was my response. I feared about that shit getting on my record. Bob didn’t seem to care about that.

“Then we need to check upstairs before they join us.”

The plan was still going. Bob didn't seem bothered by our last deviation. He didn't sound scared even. He was too passionate about his plan. Why, oh why was he being like that? What had happened to him? I sighed loudly, trying to think about what I should do.

“Goddamnit, Bob! I can't see anything. I can't even see the stairs. Let's just go”

“Right here”  
He unlocked his phone to use the flashlight again. He moved the phone a little so that it would get my attention.

Now I could faintly see a light at the corner of the room. It was very dim, but it got the job done. I had no excuse not to follow. I just didn’t want to. I was scared. I wanted to get the fuck home. I didn’t feel safe there anymore. Even if I was with Bob...

Tik. Tik. Tik.

Then the light went out.

“I can't keep it on, my stupid phone is dying”

Of course it was. I checked my own screen, knowing exactly what I was going to see. My phone was about to die too. I locked the phone immediately. Whatever amount of battery was left I wasn't going to waste it. If something bad were to happen, it would be useful to be able to call someone. It could save me.

The thing was, now the room was pitch black. As if things weren't stressful enough already. My memory vaguely recalled were the light had been. Still, I was scared of tripping against whatever furniture Hanlock had. And I was scared of something else - something that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Carefully I walked a very few steps towards the stairs.

Tik. Tik. Tik.

Another step.

Couldn’t do it. I stopped for a moment. I had barely walked for a couple of seconds and I already needed a break. My body was getting chills. The room felt colder all of the sudden. And the sound kept going. Bob was completely quiet about this. He had to have noticed, but didn’t care.

But I cared. My legs didn't want to move anymore. Something didn't want me there. Something weird was happening. I knew something strange was happening in the room.

Tik. Tik. Tik.

There was something approaching me. I could feel its presence. Then, a cold touch caressed my hand. It made me want to scream. Surely, It had to Bob, but it didn't feel like it. I was holding hands with someone else. Something else. Something cold and soft. I was too scared to speak or move. The fear had taken complete control.

The touch guided me forwards. The presence helped me walk through the living room. It was taking me exactly where I had wanted to go. Where the light had flashed. What exactly was happening? I had no idea. I was just following along to it. If I acknowledge it, it was going to make me lose my mind.

“Frank...You still there?”  
Bob asked a few moments later. It became obvious that he wasn't next to me. His voice sounded too distant.

_Not him_. He was upstairs already. He couldn't be holding my hand.

“Yeah. I’m going”  
I didn't let go. I didn’t run away. I didn’t scream.

I don't know what took over me. I was so god damn afraid that I couldn't react to it. I didn't want to disturb the presence. I didn't want to acknowledge what was happening. For whatever reason, my body did not want to fight it. It was too frightening.

One step in the stairs. Tik tik tik. The sound feels stronger now. It was still difficult to tell if it was coming from the first floor or the second one. It was just sort of there. As if it was part of the room. Or the house, specifically.

Second step forward. Third. Fourth. Still holding hands to a damn ghost. Still too scared to talk. Still going wherever the touch wants me to go towards.

It was destroying me. The tears had started forming on my eyes. I couldn't stop it. They flowed through my face rapidly. It was as if I had lost complete control of my body. I didn't know why my feet kept going. Or why I couldn't hold back the tears. Or why my mouth did not want to produce any sounds anymore. Something was holding me back.

Something stronger than me.

“Time to go in”  
Bob called. He seemed even farther away than before. I didn't want to get to where he was.

The sound of the door slowly opening. It sounded so far away from where I was. In a place that I did not want to reach. He must have assumed that I was following him along. But I wasn't. I was still at the damn stairs. Why would he think otherwise? Tik tik tik - this time louder than ever before. My heart was racing. The sound echoed through my ears. Bob **HAD** to be hearing it. Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“Don’t”  
Was the one word I managed to say. It came out as a small whisper. I could barely make the word come out of my lips at all. Things were bad. Things had gone really bad.

Then the door loudly closes. In a deliberate way. The type of way only someone very angry could do. Someone. Or something. Something strong. Tik tik tik - echoes through the walls.

Something was wrong.

“Don’t”  
I repeated. The ticking sound was now louder than ever. And there was something else too. Something new.

Whispers. I could hear various voices whispering behind me. All of them talked at the same time. I couldn’t understand any of it. Unsure of what to do next, I froze in the middle of the stairs. On one hand, I did not want to follow Bob. On the other hand, I didn't want to follow the voices either. Neither of those choices felt safe for me. My body was trapped between two awful paths. I was so scared that I was not going to escape. My entire body was trembling in fear. My mind had stopped responding.

I took a deep breath. More tears fell down my face.

In that moment of a panic, I stopped to think about my mother. What was she supposed to do? What was she going to do when they found my dead body inside a stranger’s house? What was she going to do when she lost her only son? What would dad say? Would they know that I was there to rob Hanlock? Would they think that they didn’t do enough to save me?

Those thoughts terrified me. They made me have troubles breathing. They hurt my soul.

But I didn't really think I could escape anymore. My destiny was sealed the moment I entered the place. The whispers, the knockings, the darkness, those strange touches. It was over for me. It had to be. That place was much stronger than me. Stronger than him too.

“Frank?” Bob’s voice was too far away. It was trapped in a different room. In the middle of the darkness. Scared just as much as I was. Realizing that it was over too. Probably experience a fear that no one should ever feel “Frank! Frank!”

He kept repeating my name, but I still couldn't move. The tears were pouring away again. It was all that my body seemed to be able to do. Why? Why was that the only defense that I had? It was time to react - to be someone important. But all I seemed to be was a frighten child.

“I’m here.”  
I said, but it was barely audible again.

The other noises in the house demanded attention. The darkness and all the noises that came from it. I can't know for sure, but I don't think he could hear me at all. I think he thought I was gone by that point. We were too far away to help each other.

“Frank! FRANK!”  
He kept calling from that distant room. It made me let out a whimper. The right thing to do would have been to go and help him. To get the courage to run to open that door. To SAVE HIM. To simply be there. But my brain wouldn't let me. _You’ll die_ It insisted _you know you’ll fucking die_. Truly, as shitty as my life was... I did not want to die there. 

I walked a step back. Bobs yelps became louder and louder. They were so shrill. The yells sent shivers down my spine. It was as if the house was angry now. As if I had made the wrong choice. And, really, I had. I continued taking steps back, trying to reach the first floor again. Trying to get the hell away from that place. The whispers were all around me. The sounds of Bob’s screaming covered the entire house. But all I did was close my eyes and tried to go back.

“I’m sorry!” I yelled. My voice cracked, probably from the fear and the crying “I’m so sorry!”

Bob then screamed louder than ever before  
This time I could tell that it was from absolute pain. The sound sent goosebumps all over my body. My entire body was trembling again. And so was my voice “I-i lo-lo-love you m-man! I’m so s-so-sorry…!”

Finally, I had reached the first floor again. There was no way in hell he could hear me. He was locked in a distant room with god-knows-what. Still, it felt like the least I could do. My heart still wanted him to hear my words. My consciousness didn't want things to end the way they were heading to.

“I’m sorry!”  
I yelled one more time before going back to crying. I stayed still for a few moments, not knowing what should happen next. The front door was so close to me now. But I still had a chance to run to find Bob if I wanted to. Except I didn't. More whispering. The sounds made it hard to think.

“I’m so fucking sorry”  
It was dawning over me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't go upstairs. There was no way. Why did I have to stay? it was over. Whatever it was, it had Bob. Bob had already lost. There was no reason to sabotage myself as well. So why wouldn't my feet start moving?

The doors in the house began opening and closing. Every single one of them - all at once. The sound was so loud. It made me feel dizzy. I felt sick to my stomach. There was no way that Bob and I were the only people in the house. But at the same time, I knew that if I checked any of the doors that I wouldn’t be able to see anyone. Everything would be dark. I would not be alone though. I could feel it. The place was charged with energy.

Bad energy. Tik tik tik.

The shock made me jump. After that, my feet did not need any more reasons to start running. The adrenaline was finally kicking in. One more time I heard voices calling my name. This time, the voices seemed to be coming from the ground. As soon as this happened I started running faster, unwilling to look back.

Bob’s screams echoed through every inch of the house. I couldn’t escape them. All while the doors kept opening and closing. They were being loudly pushed around by the wind. It was as if a hurricane was passing by the area. But there was nothing. There was nothing happening outside. And again, nothing was supposed to be happening inside either.

The only person inside was supposed to be Hanlock - who was nowhere to be seen.

Everything was wrong. So I ran as fast as I could. When the cramping in my legs started it didn't stop me. The noises that the house made didn't slow me down either. I had to disappear before any of the voices got closer. I didn’t want to know what was wrong.

“FRAAAAAAAAANK!”  
I could hear Bob cry out again. There was so much pain in his voice. It made me want to stop...

But nothing was going to make me go upstairs. My instinct for survival was now stronger than ever. If the presences in the houses got to me, I knew I was never getting out. The only thing that I could do was leave before it happened.

So fuck it. I was leaving. I was leaving.

“Frank. Frank. Frank”  
Echoed the house. It didn't sound like Bobs voice anymore. It sounded different. Like multiple people talking at once. The house was only repeating what Bob had yelled. It was like the echo of unknown people. Whatever it was, it was saying my name loudly.

And the sound was coming from the ground.

**“FRAAAANK!!!”**  
A different voiced called. This time, it was my friend again. His voice was calling from upstairs. And it sounded very afraid. He had to be.

Thing is, I simply couldn't help him. Even though my heart ached, I couldn't. I needed to keep running. I needed to survive. I was leaving.

So I did.

And that yell was the last thing I heard before going past the front door and sprinting outside.

Once I had reached the night I felt safe. It was my freedom. I threw myself on the grass to catch my breath. To take in what happened. To process it all.

To my surprise, when I looked up, the nightmare still wasn’t over. The front door was closed loudly by an invisible force. The windows in the house told stories of their own. Curtains would fall and rise. Light would flick in the rooms then vanish. It was as if someone was trying to break every lightbulb in the house.

That was enough for me.

Quickly I got up from the grass. As I had done before: I ran the fuck away. No looking back. I kept running through the streets like a madman. It was late, I was completely alone and I felt danger all around me. No one could have helped me anyway.

I kept running till my legs gave out. Even then, I didn't stop. I kept _walking_ away till the sun came out. By the end I was in a completely different neighborhood. Miles away. Whatever that thing was, it needed to stay far away from me. I needed to be away.

3

The police didn't believe me. My parents didn't believe me. They would nod and then look at me as if I was crazy. It wasn’t surprising, really. The story was mental. No one was ever going to take it seriously. No matter how much it meant to me.

I was completely alone.

There was a search party for Bob but it didn't get much traction. Bob wasn't young enough - or cute enough, I guess - to make the public interested. Unsurprisingly, the search lead nowhere. They were looking in all the wrong places. They were asking the wrong questions. It was so frustrating. They expected him to comeback after a week or two with a raging hangover. But that wasn't going to happen.

People kept telling me that what I saw wasn't real. Everyone believed that we had gotten drunk (maybe high) leading to the strange memories. They didn’t want to listen to me. No one wanted to take it seriously. Apparently my tattoos and lack of job meant that I was a dumb junkie. Which I wasn't. And neither was Bob. We were good people. I mean, at least Bob was.

Bobs disappearance wasn't important to them. _“He’ll show up in a week or so. He's probably wasted on Tijuana or something like that”_ one of them had said. The man smiled when he said this. As if the thought was going to give me some relief.

_“You don’t get it”_ was all I had said.

So I was left with only one option to release my anger: the internet.

Most of what I did on my spare time involved the internet anyway. My favorite place was a site I had found recently. It had diverse forums for all kinds of interests. People would post amusing pictures, jokes and **stories** too. it was a site where you could find a niche for everything. So I went on a forum dedicated towards venting frustrations.

In two short paragraphs I managed to tell my story. Course, I omitted the details that made me look bad. Like how we had planned to mug an elderly woman for weeks. That was not relevant.

It was no award-winning literature, but I knew that I had to keep it short. If I didn't, people wouldn't be interested. I could not be ignored again. People had to give some (ANY) type of validation.

After posting my rant in the website, people reached out to me. Mostly people who did not believe me. People who said that I was making up scary stories for attention - and that there were other sites dedicated to that sort of thing. But most importantly, that I was not in one of them.

Few comments showed sympathy. They claimed that they had experienced similar encounters before. They shared weird anecdotes that didn't really relate to my story at all. Some people wrote back in different languages. They weren't helpful to me either.

Only one commenter really caught my attention. The person wrote: **“This is why rookies shouldn’t mess with type B appearances. What else did you think was going to happen?”**

Not only this, but this same user had sent me a private message as well. The message read: **“Hanlock? Or Vincent’s?”**. It made me want to pass out. Whoever had posted such things knew exactly about what I was talking about. Someone actually believed. Someone out there understood the pain.

“Hanlock’s. WHO R U. Whats a type B? WHO R U?”

**“just know that Hanlock’s house is not a place where you should wander about. It is dangerous: as i’m sure you know now. People without experience shouldn't get near it”**

“Experience in what? What do you know about the house?”  
I sent back in a different private message. My responses to him came back immediately. On the other hand, he would respond to me after a few hours.

**“I’ve been in expeditions inside the house many times. I know exactly the types of things that live in there”**

“Can you help me find him?”  
The thought suddenly popped to my head. It was so stupid. But I couldn't help but to send it anyway. Whatever it meant.

**“What i’ll find inside that house won’t be your friend. It's going to be something very different.”** He later sent me: **“I’m sorry for your loss”**

“Can you tell me more about the house? About what happened inside there?”

**“Not through this thing, no. There wouldn’t be enough privacy. Your profile says you live in the Belleville area too, is that right? We could figure something out”**

“YES.”

**“We would have to meet at my place. Face to face or nothing. I can’t share the things that i know through this medium. I can’t judge who are you/or what you are/ through this thing. I hope that you can understand this. Safety procedures.”**

“I’LL MEET YOU. WHEREVER YOU WANT. I’LL BE THERE”  
Now I was replying only in all caps, because I wanted his full attention. This man sounded very serious about his craft. And I was very serious about wanting to meet him.

**“Good. you’re a girl, right?”**

The question made me feel anxious. Suddenly, I questioned the intentions of the user speaking to me. This guy was something else.

After looking through the profile I learned a bit more. Apparently this person commented on every supernatural post ever. The user also posted on the forums for anxiety, and depression all the time. Adding to this, the user would ask go on forums for single people asking how to meet “chicks”. This person did not sound like a healthy or well-adjusted individual.

“YES. “  
I sent. I was not going to waste my only chance to get answers. If I had to lie, it was fine.

**“Can you send me a pic as evidence? Its part of my procedure for these kinds of issues. Nothing else (unless u want it 2 b).”**

I went on a different social media platform to find one of my dearest friends. Jamia, oh poor Jamia, was saved in my computer. A picture of her was sent to the stranger from the site where i posted my story. The picture was recent: it was her smiling with a kitten. The kitten was a shelter, and had been adopted recently. It was a picture that warmed my heart.

**“Nice. Virgin?”**

“TELL ME ABOUT THE HAUNTED HOUSE”

**“Alright! I'll see you on tuesday. In the meantime, you could tell me some of your other interests :)”**

I didn't answer anything till Wednesday night. Only because I needed the address. Nothing else. I needed some answers. Not to make friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is better, i'll post it tomorrow ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

4

The user lived in a nice suburban neighborhood. Their house looked way nicer than anything I could have imagined. When I knocked on the door I didn't know what to expect. What could the user possibly look like? I mean, it was an anxious (but brave) detective that lived in the upper suburbs... That never happened. That was a bizarre type of situation.

In my mind, the user had to be some middle-age weirdo. The type of people who lives in a trailer surrounded by x-files posters. But I had been wrong. The person had a large suburban house. With the American flag waving outside. With windows covered in stickers with the words **“JESUS SAVES!”**. I didn't know _what_ to believe anymore.

The door opened a few seconds later. Now, I was greeted by a middle-aged woman with blonde hair. It was bleached, for sure, and it was very damaged. She also had bright makeup splattered on her face. One that seemed to be applied without any grace. Pretty standard Jersey woman, honestly. It was not a shocking sight.

“Hello?”

“Hi. I’m Frankie. I’m looking for Michael?”

“Excuse me for a moment”  
The woman smiled before closing the door right on my face. Don’t think she liked me very much. Most people like her don’t react very well to my tattoos or my dark clothing.

All I could do was stay outside waiting. From where I was I could still hear her scream: “Frankie is here! Come out!”. The user was probably going to come out next. That was a lot to handle. After that some different voices yelled something back. There was some back and forth, but I couldn’t understand any of it. Whatever they were arguing about was lost on me.

After a couple of seconds the door opened again.

“Who are you? Where's the chick?”  
This time I was greeted by a different person.

This person wore glasses. And this person looked around my age, which I preferred. The man was dressed in formal clothing and held a flower on his hand. Probably meant to go towards Jamia.

“Look, I can explain this-”

“No chick, no deal!”  
The man interrupted me. There was no doubt that he was upset. Disappointment was written all over his face. The man then tried to close the door but I stopped him. Truth to be told, I was a lot stronger than him. It was not hard to keep the door open against his wishes.

“You don't understand! I need to talk to you!”

“You lied!”  
He yelled, hurt. It was clear that he wanted me gone. He was trying his hardest to push the door close, but it was useless.

“I can get you girls! I have friends that you could meet!”  
It seemed like the right thing to say. His profile showed me that he was constantly looking for friends. And I had friends to spare. This pleading finally seemed to get his attention.

“The girl in the pic?”  
He stopped trying to push the door close. He was highly concerned in what my answer would be. He seemed very interested in my friend Jamia and her cat.

“That's Jamia. She’s a close friend! I can introduce you to her! But let me talk to you!”  
It was a desperate move. And pathetic. But it was sort of working. The man was not trying to push the door anymore. And that’s what mattered to me.

He took a moment to contemplate what to say to me. After a few moments, he went:  
“Alright. Alright. You can come in. But you’re gonna get me a date with that girl”

“Sure! I’ll do it! Whatever you want!”

Hope. Some hope. A wave of relief came all over me.

“And a kiss! Can you make her kiss me?”

That was probably going to be a tough one. But I nodded eagerly anyway. The guy could have asked to marry her and I would have still said “Maybe”. I was desperate to get him on my side. The man was the only hope that I had left in my life. Whether I liked it or not.

“I'll see what I can do!”

“Fine! You can come in.”

The person walked me through their living room. The middle age woman was watching television there. The woman was deeply invested in a soap opera. The volume of the television was as loud as possible. This seemed to bother the user. He leads me to a different place instead.

We ended up next to a closed door. A door with stickers of spaceships and video game heroes. The man knocked it loudly, before yelling:  
“Gee! Put on some pants! We have people over!”

“Hold on!”  
Gerard (I assumed) replied from inside the room.

Quickly enough the user opened the door. Somehow it was enough time for Gerard to put pants on. The door leads us to a dungy basement. One that was a little intimidating, but I followed him. We walked downstairs together to where the man Gerard resided.

The basement smelled awful. It smelled of a mixture of alcohol, weed, and something that had to be vomit. It was not the place where I wished to be. It was just where life had sort of lead me towards.

A man (wearing pants now) was plopped in bed with a computer on his lap. This man looked around the same age as the guy with glasses. The man did not greet me though. That had to be Gerard, for sure. Gerard who was not amused by our meeting.

“I’m Mike.” he sat on a black recliner chair. The noise made an awkward noise. “Paranormal expert”

The user was finally introducing himself. Now, this guy did look like the type I had envisioned. Lanky. Young. Glasses. Nasal voice. Room littered with science fiction crap. Basement loser. Lives with mom. Probably sheltered as hell. Yup.

“I’m Frank”  
I said with a friendly smile that he did not like. He had probably already guessed.

“You can have a seat with Gerard.”

There were no more chairs in the room, so I didn’t have a choice. Gerard moved a bit so that I could have some space in his bed. Fuck. My eyes looked intensely at the bed for a couple of seconds before sitting down. I did not want to imagine the horrors that the bed had seen before.

“Now, what do you want?”

“Hanlock’s house. What's wrong with it?”

“Well, it's a complicated issue” He started while adjusting his glasses “One that I’m not sure you would understand. You, being an amateur and all-”

“Its haunted as shit”  
Gerard intervenes in the conversation. He was still looking at his computer screen, scrolling an unknown website. Focused on something else.

“It's not just _haunted as shit_. Entities live there. They've inhabited it for ages”

“Why? What do they want? Why did they take my friend?”

Not to knock on the guy, but Bob was not someone relevant. Nor successful. Nor popular in the slightest. There was no reason why he should be the target of “entities”. He was a good guy who rescued dogs and played the drums at times. Ancient entities should have not been one of his worries - ever. It only made things more confusing.

“It's not possible for us to know. We humans aren't meant to.”

“Show him the Hanlock folder. With the poltergeist stuff”  
Gerard said. He was still looking at his computer screen as he said this. Gerard didn't seem invested in the conversation at all. He seemed more interested in getting me out of the room. He probably wanted to get rid of his pants again.

“We can't just show everyone our folders, Gerard! They took effort to be collected!”  
Mikey argued, as if I wasn't listening. He sounded like a toddler arguing with his sibling over something trivial. That’s exactly what it was too.

“Who cares. Let him see the folder and make him leave” He then added “No offense, Frank”

“None taken”

“NO! No folders! I know what I’m doing!”  
Mikey lost his composure for a moment.

Then he looked at me again. As if he had suddenly remembered that I was there too. His argument with Gerard had clearly distracted him from me.

So I was going to get it over with:  
“I want to go back. I left my friend inside. If you guys are, paranormal dudes or whatever, you can help me.”

“No way. If you go inside it's going to be a huge liability for us. We can’t guarantee your safety in that place”  
Mikey was quick to respond. He probably knew that it was all I wanted from him. That's probably why he didn't want me inside the house at all.

“I’ll pay you”

“Let the man in! Let the man in, Mikes!”  
Gerard argues. Again, Mikey did not appreciate the gesture.

“No! No! It's a type B! He - he has no training! Plus, there's nothing that can be done!” He looked at me “Your friend is not going back, man”

“We’re hunting some vampires tomorrow.” Mikey screeched at his brother. “You can come.” Mikey tried interrupting again but the man continued, arguing him with “That's type A stuff! He can learn a thing or two. Then we move into the Hanlock situation. Easy peasy”

“No! There's no point in taking him inside the house. It's just going to bother the spirits!”

He wasn’t talking to me, but I argued anyway:  
“There is. I know that Bob isn’t coming back but… There has to be something of him in there. Anything that I can take. I want her mother to have something”

“Let him in, Mikes!”

“No way! What happens if you take something and it's cursed! Uh!? What happens there, buddy! You’ll bring misery into their life!”  
He was mostly arguing with his brother still.

I was left watching their back and forth. Looking at one of the brothers bickering about something. Then looking at the different brother yelling back. Unable to do much else. It was their decision after all. There was nothing for me to do about it.

“We can bless it before letting him take it! No problems then!”  
Gerard tried again.

“It's like - he's not a paranormal investigator! It's dangerous for him “  
By that point both of them seemed decided that they were in the right.

“ _If he already_ went inside Hanlock’s and he survived, he’ll be fine”  
The argument continued.

“His friend didn't!” He turned to me again “You could end up the same way, you know”

“I don't care”  
There was no hesitation in my voice. My life didn’t matter anymore. It was the life of a damn coward. Ever since Bob’s death this thought was constantly on my head. Bob’s legacy was more important now.

Bob’s memory was more important than my safety. My selfishness was not going to take control again. Going back was the right thing to do. Even if it was scary. Even if it was going to be dangerous. If I couldn't change what happened that night, at least I needed to be in peace with it.

The room was momentarily in silence. My comment was maybe a little blunter than they had expected. And a little grim. I’m a lot like that lately. Saying very depressing shit completely unprovoked. Since Bob is gone, he doesn’t get to stop me anymore.

“Let's say we take you with us on Friday. To get you some practice. Vampires won't scare you, right?”

Gerard was finally looking at me now. There was no sarcasm on his voice. It was clear that he was being as serious as possible. He wanted to help. Or the money. Or whatever the hell, but he looked willing to help me.

“I mean. I don't know… will they be … hot?”  
Was all I could respond. Wrong fucking answer.

Mikey rolled his eyes like it was the dumbest thing someone had suggested him. Gerard laughed loudly, so I didn’t feel so embarrassed. I just smiled as if it had been a sarcastic joke (it was not). The room seemed to be better after that.

“See, he’ll be fine!”

“Fine! You can come! But I can’t promise you you’ll find anything when we go to Hanlock’s. That house is strange, it knows things. What you're looking for might be there. Or it might disappear as soon as we get in there. Don't get your hopes up, okay? It's not something certain”

“Trust me, I never do”  
There it goes again. A completely unnecessary observation to make. And the uncomfortable silence after. I truly don’t care about anything anymore.

5

That night I had a very tough conversation with my mother. I needed money to pay for the “exploration”. Money that I did not have. Money that my mother did not want to give me. Money that my non-existing job could not provide me with.

It was a pain.

She said I was going to spend it all on booze and drugs. Which sure, was super tempting, but I wasn't going to. Not this time. But how could she have known that? I couldn't tell her what the money was for.

Case closed, no money for me. In the end she threatens to call my father. Also, she of course told me to start looking for a job. This is the usual way our conversations end anyway. None of this ever goes anywhere. My father probably didn’t even think about me anymore. I certainly don't think about him.

So mom and dad were no help. I was not sure what to do. Thought about waiting for things to fixed themselves. Just like I did on that stupid night where I lost Bob.

Mikey and Gerard didn't seem like talented enterprisers to me. They looked like dorks. Professional supernatural dorks. Their payment could wait. I mean, if I died inside the house that meant I didn't have to pay shit too! Sweet deal if you ask me. And the idea of dying there didn't seem that far off. I thought about letting things happen. If I got my ass kicked by Mikey or his brother, I was sure I could survive.

There was no way I was backing down though.

“Are you okay?”

I needed answers. Some closure. Or death. Whatever came towards me first. My soul knew no peace.

“Do you want to talk about it with someone?”

 

Next day I received a call from my friend Matt. He played bass for the band - sometimes, at least. Most of the time he got drunk before we go on stage and we had to just deal with it. It doesn’t matter anymore. We were never good to begin with. It's all gone now. Years of our lives lost on nothing of importance. I was left with familiar faces but that was all.

“No.”

“How are you holding up? Fine?”

“Fine.” I said. Matt nodded “It's been - it's been hard, I guess… But I feel a little better now”

“You’ve been going to therapy?”

I’ve considered it I guess. Then I realized I shouldn’t do it or I’ll end up locked in a mental institution. Wonder where that leaves me. Probably one of those depressing thoughts that I should not share out loud. They only bring people down.

“Nah, something else. I - I met someone. Someone who understands.”

“You know you can talk to me, right? If you ever feel like-”  
There was a bit of fear on his voice. As if he thought the worst of me. And he was right.

“I know, I know.”

“Good.”

He had the best intentions, I’m sure. But that wasn’t enough. The Way brothers were the only people that could help me. Sympathy was not going to do much. I needed something a lot stronger than that.

“We should totally meet up, man. Catch up on some things, get drunk”

“Yeah, yeah”

“Are you free this week?”

“This week? No, no, no. I have- I have to some plans already. Sorry. Some other time.”

“Ah, that’s fine”

He probably didn’t want to hang out with me either. His mood didn’t change when I said no. It was as if that's the response he expected. Or wanted, anyway. I probably would not want to hang out with my moody ass either.

“Listen,” He continues “I have to go. My shift is about to start.”

“Course”

“Take care, okay?”

“Bye”

“Seriously, take care of yourself, okay? Can you promise me that?”  
His demeanor changed suddenly. He seemed serious now. He wanted me to listen to him carefully.

“Goodbye”

Immediately after I hanged up the phone. My brain was drifting back into Bob. I didn’t deserve to take care of myself. I wasn’t worthy of it. The sounds of the screams **FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!** echoed through my head again. Talking to my old friends reminded me too much about him. Not something that I wanted to do anymore. It only brought pain to my chest.

6

We met at a dingy bar downtown. One that I had never seen before. It was in a part of town that I didn’t usually visit. The part of town where most of the horrible shit happened. If some violent crime happened, it was usually around this area. It didn’t have a good reputation with people. It was the type of place where prostitutes roamed freely in the streets around the streets and men carried prepaid phones.

The bar wasn’t crowded. There had to be about 10 people maximum. The people inside didn’t look like the regular bar goers either. Or at least not the ones that I liked to go to the bar with. People weren’t with their friends drinking, meeting new people, or having anything close to a good time. Quite the contrary, everyone in the bar looked as if they were miserable. Men in their 40’s that looked at their drink as if it had all their answers in life. Bald heads, unkempt beards and dirty clothing.

It wasn’t my scene. Call me crazy, but I’ve always preferred bars that didn’t make me feel suicidal. If my band was asked to perform at that place, we’d probably get heckled for not being depressing enough. And we _were_ real depressing.

No one looked a me twice. Mikey told me to dress casual, and I had followed the demand accurately. Black clothing from head to toe. It didn’t raise any eyebrows at that place. It was pretty much the uniform people had. Although perhaps they weren’t paying attention because everyone was too drunk to notice me. Probably a mixture of both.

Mikey, on the other hand, looked like a fuckin’ loser. Nothing that I didn’t expect. Walking the streets looking like a motherfuckin’ ghostbuster reject. Full body flight suit with weird patches stuck in it. Huge boots for manual work. Weird batman belt replica filled with crap. Bright yellow gloves on his hands, the type people wear to wash dishes of all things. Hair tucked with hair gel. Huge shiny boots that clearly didn’t fit him correctly. And the smell of the cheapest deodorant possible for men ages 12 up to 16. If everyone wasn’t so wasted, I’m sure he would have gotten tons of dirty looks. It made me question if he actually thought he looked good. I didn't have the heart to ask, though.

Gerard didn’t look too different. He was also dressed in a flight suit for whatever reason. But he had paired the outfit with converse shoes instead. I honestly expected better from him. It was not a good luck. Outside of Halloween 87’ it was just not socially acceptable, if I’m asked. Gerard also had a small backpack with him, as if he had algebra class right after his vampire hunting.

“You read the basics, right?”  
Michael asked me.

We were now sitting in a booth together. We picked one that was as far as possible from the rest of the customers. I’m sure they weren't mad about it. That place was not where anybody would want to make friends. Nah, that bar seemed more like the place where you went if you were looking to get stabbed.

The question he asked made me freeze for a second. Mikey had sent me a long ass pdf file the day before. I had opened it, seen that it was about 50+ pages, and closed it. The way any sane person would do. I did promise myself that I would revisit it before going out though. I had not. Not even on the car drive. The whole thing hadn’t crossed my mind at all.

“No”  
I said. There was no point to deny it. If I lied about such thing, I could end up getting eaten by a vampire. So I decided it was best not to do so.

“You can’t come with us then”  
He said arrogantly. I felt my stomach drop for a moment. He seemed to be in the right, but it didn't make me feel good.

Fuck. I didn’t get all the way to the bad part of town for nothing.

“Here's what you need to know” Gerard joined the conversation. He was trying to get closer to me now “Don’t get bitten. Carry crucifix at all times. Go for the neck. Those are the basics. You can come with us”

Mikey was not happy with his brother's interferences. It isn't something that I can blame him for. I was an intruder in the group. I had no right to go on their mission. I could have at the very least read about the job… But I had not.

“But did you bring what I told you to bring?”

“Uh-”  
No. Not at all. I didn't even read Mikey’s entire message. It looked so boring. And super long. I can barely read my phone bills nowadays. Let alone some weird vampire manifesto.

“Don't worry. I’ve always got a spare crucifix” Gerard reached for his backpack and took the artefact out. He handed to me like it was nothing. No one in the bar seemed to care either. “And you can use this”

I couldn’t tell what it was at first. Then the blade rolled out. Out of all things, he had handed me a pocket knife. The type of things “bad guys” in old movies used to carry. At least it was one of those clasp knives that I could hide safely in my pocket. Thank god. But still not the type of thing I wanted to keep with me.

“What’s this for?”

“The neck. We cut their neck.”

It sounded real unpractical for me. The idea of sticking such a thing on someone's neck seemed ridiculous. Specially to the neck of an undead creature. And especially if it was done by someone as soft as me. That was not going to happen. What they were saying was completely preposterous.

“Does that work?”

“Sure does!”  
Mikey looked mad. As if the guy had invented the damn method himself. Which, maybe he did. Either way. No need for the attitude.

“Is there...any other way?” I asked “Like maybe leave them out into the sun? Like in the movies?”

The idea of cutting their neck didn’t appeal to me one bit. It sounded vicious. Barbaric even.

The knife looked like one of the knives that my father used for hunting animals. And, I did **not** enjoy when dad took me to hunt with him. Not when he wanted us to catch deer. Not when he wanted me to catch bunnies. Not when he tried to get me to start fishing with him. It was something that I tried to forget about.

I never killed any of the animals. Too much blood. And crying. The animals cried out too. And just bad memories. Dad always ended up killing the animals by himself. I could never do it.

“No, no.” Gerard answered “We try to be as human as possible. Leaving them out into the sun is cruel. It makes them feel pain. It takes several hours. And in the end it smells like hell. We don't go for those types of kills. We prefer something like cutting their neck. It's a lot faster: less suffering”

“That’s...That does sound better.”  
The answer did make me feel a little relieved. I had never considered that aspect of hunting said creatures. It was nice to know that they cared about such things.

But I was still not planning on actually doing it.

“Yeah, well, I’m all into animals right and shit” Gerard said, shrugging “So I try to keep it in mind when killing demonic creatures and all. Well, the best that I can”

“That’s very nice of you. I mean… I had never even considered that aspect of killing vampires. It’s so cool that you worry about that stuff”

“I mean… I guess I am nice.”  
He shrugged, but he was smiling as he did so.

“Yeah, slitting’s peoples neck is so sensitive. Yeah, yeah. We’re amazing. Truly the pioneers in vampire rights”  
Mikey did not seem to enjoy the conversation. Probably because it didn't revolve around him. Or because people were having fun - an activity that he did not seem to know about. That didn't matter to me.

Gerard's eyes mattered more. They were so bright. Even under the dim lightning of the bar.

“We only go for the ones causing trouble, too” Gerard continued ignoring his brother. He was talking to me. Unlike last time, he actually looked interested in me “We keep a track of the creatures that live here. So when something new arrives, or an old friend is causing trouble, we take them out. Rules of nature”

“Fuck. You make it sound so professional. You really love your job, don’t you?”

“Well, we-”

“Stop giving him information! Gerard, its dangerous! Stop using your paranormal knowledge to get laid! You just look stupid!”  
Mikey had the face of a child throwing a tantrum. And he was. It was clear that he didn’t like me. Or trusted me. But Gerard did. A little too much for his own good even. It was working for my benefit though.

“Don't be paranoid! Frank’s fine.”

“Yeah. I won't tell anyone about this. That’s a promise.”

I wasn’t kidding. If I told anyone about any of it, I would end up in rehab or something I already had enough problems the way my life was. Getting accused of being a nutjob was not something that I needed. My parents were already disappointed in me as it was. There was no way I would tell anyone about the Way brothers and their businesses.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had to change some stuff from the first two chapters. there were some mistakes that i didn't catch for some reason :') i feel so dumb... but i mean, is anyone even reading this fic? ... 
> 
> this chapter was inspired by the song Blood by Slow Warm Death. ┐(‘～`；)┌ will post more tomorrow still.

1

We took a few drinks. Gerard blabbed more the drunker that he got. Mikey would mostly give us dirty looks, but didn’t talk much. He wasn’t drinking. And he didn’t seem to like to see his brother drinking either. 

My guess was that Mikey was the designated driver. The only thing he consumed were chicken wings. Not a drop of alcohol for him though. Only lemonade for him.

According to the older brother, they’ve been involved with the paranormal their entire lives. It started when they were only kids. And it had been their “thing” together ever since. Gerard talked to the ghosts, the ghosts talked to Gerard and Mikey figured something out. They had a perfect team since ages 12 and 9 respectively.

They said that they don’t do it full time though. They keep tabs on monsters during the weekends at best. When they were younger they used to go on missions every day. But now that they were older they didn't have the time to focus on those type of things. They kept the folders and kept the surveillance going, but it was only a chore to them. It wasn’t particularly their pride and joy anymore. 

They also advertised their services online, but they explicitly stated that they only worked in the Jersey/York area. It would garner a few offers every couple of months. Only three different times they had did business with people outside of the area. Those people had been so desperate that they financed airplane tickets and hotel accommodations for them. Gerard didn't say where they were taken or with what purposes. He then quickly drifted on the subject, as if it was a story that he didn’t want to tell.

“It wasn’t a vacation, that’s for sure.”

Was all he said before closing that subject. He focused on his drink after that. It was a story for a different time. 

If they just stopped working entirely - Mikey had said - it could create chaos. It was best to keep the creatures warned, he had explained. It seemed like a complicated issue. It wasn’t a job that they could quit. They were involved in it till death. They had messed with too many people and _things_ to ever quit it. It sounded like way too much pressure for two people to handle.

“In a way, you’re trapped in this”  
I said. They didn't seem to enjoy my comparison. Their faces looked a little grim because of what I had said.

“That’s one way to put it.”  
Gerard wasn't looking at me anymore, he was staring at his empty drink. Perhaps that thought didn’t make him feel any good. Can’t blame the guy. It seemed like a hard thing to live with. It wasn’t something that I would wish upon anyone.

2

An unknown figure entered the bar during the night.

It was a man that appeared to be in his early twenties. He had dark hair and he looked sickly pale. Mikey and Gerard stared deeply at him. Their faces looked tense as he made his way into the bar. They were watching his every move closely. 

The stranger seemed to be a person of interest for them. In my opinion, he looked like any European man ever. There had to be something that I didn’t know about. 

Once the figure noticed that he was being watched, things changed. The person looked bothered. Cornered. Avoiding eye contact and trying to hide his face with his shoulders. He had to know what was happening. The Way brothers didn’t stop looking at him though. They weren’t even trying to be subtle about it either. The tension between them was obvious. 

I wanted to ask what was going on. But I didn’t want to interrupt whatever they had going on. If I did, I felt like I could end up getting hurt.

The man left the bar shortly afterwards. No drinks, no small chat, nothing. Disappeared just as suddenly as he had arrived. I thought that it would be the end of it. In fact, I hoped it would be. It was late, and I was already getting tired. Hunting surely could wait for the next weekend. Maybe even the next lifetime.

“Let’s go”  
He started taking out some bills out of his wallet. Gerard threw them into the table without any grace. He didn’t even stop to count any of it. That couldn’t be good.

“What? Where?”

“That's Molko. He's the one we were waiting for. We need to follow him.”  
Mikey explained to me while eyeing the exit door.

I didn't get further information on the issue. They were already leaving their seats and walking away from the booth. Mikey dropped more bills on the table, and began his departure without a word. I clumsy did my best to keep up with their pace. We all left the bar together looking for the man from the bar. 

3

The two men directed me to a dark street. They seemed to know their surroundings way better than I did. Clearly, they had done their fair share of hunting in the area. I had not. I walked a lot slower and often bumped into things. It was not the type of place I wanted to spend my night on.

Finally, we reached a lonely alleyway. One where I still did not feel safe in. It smelled like death. There was hardly any light. And I could sense that something was not normal. That meant that we were probably in the right spot. The Way brothers did not say anything. They walked carefully towards it. 

There, the figure reappeared from the shadows. The unexpected sight of him made me tremble. Now that I knew of his true identity, he looked so much more intimidating. That wasn't a person. That was the creature that lived in children's nightmares. It was a terrifying realization. 

The stories that Gerard had told me at the bar were entertaining. But now that I was in one of them, they weren’t so fun anymore. Even with Mikey on my left and Gerard on my right, I didn’t feel safe.

“Guys, we don’t need to do this”  
The strange man said. There was a smirk on his face. Not a sign of panic from him or his attitude. The man had an expression of complete serenity.

“We do!” Mikey informed him “You didn't respect the limit of humans per month. We already warned you time and time again. You know what's next, Molko”

“Hey, who's the new guy?”  
The creature turned to me. It made me nervous, but it didn't feel scary. The creature did not look creepy at all. In fact, the creature was (and you will never hear me in real life admitting this) very handsome. Something about his voice had changed me. His dreamy face was helping too. For some reason I felt no issue talking to it. There was something charming about the creature.

Something that felt welcoming - and warm. Whatever it was. Even if it was fake.

Like Gerard and I, this thing didn't seem to be interest in Mikey’s theatrics. The topic of conversation was me again. The guy who did not belong among these hunters and their prey. It was not that surprising that I had gained his attention. 

“Hello. I’m Frank.”  
Was what I yelled back at him. The creature grinned. I smiled too, as if I had just been introduced to a friend. It was just what my body wanted to do. It felt better to take things casually, the way that Gerard was doing. 

Not like Mikey did. Mikey was trembling. Mikey was visibly upset. Mikey who looked like he was going to piss his pants at any seconds. No, that could not possibly be helpful to our mission.

“Don't talk to it! Jesus Christ, Frank!” Mikey demanded me “You’re not even part of the team! Stay back!”

“I like him better. You should stick with this one, Gerard” The vampire said. “Ditch glasses boy. Get in the winning team”

Gerard merely chuckled at the comment. It was the playful banter you would expect from old friends. Not the type of conversation that you were supposed to get from blood-thirsty monsters. The two people didn't look uncomfortable with each other’s presence whatsoever. As if it was routine for them. 

Maybe Gerard felt that welcoming vibe from Molko too. Maybe. Maybe he really didn't care what happened either. 

Few moments later Gerard reached for something in his backpack. A knife. A threatening butcher knifes. A knife that made the one he gave me look pathetic. The one Gerard had looked like it could cut through anything you wanted to. Mine looked like the one that could break down into pieces if you tried carving pumpkins with it. Was that on purpose? 

“You know what we have to do”  
He said this calmly as he raised the knife.

The situation seemed standard to him. Something that didn't startle him in the slightest. As if that was the way life went. That made me feel a little secure about where we stand. I was in the winning team, wasn’t I? Thank god. The winning team.

“I wouldn't advise you to continue.” The creature began. Suddenly it had appeared a few inches away from Gerard and me. “You have bigger problems than me right now.” Gerard didn’t seem taken back by it “Have you heard the amazing news?”

“What?”  
Gerard still didn't look fazed by it. He was playing along to the game. Maybe it was the drinks he had earlier. But he seemed to be totally fine with what was happening. If I was apathetic, Gerard was the king of it. The man did not give a damn.

“There's a demon in Belleville.” The creature took a pause. Mikey and Gerard looked shocked by the statement. Later, he rectified “Not some entity or a bad haunting. Not some satanic kids. A full fleshed demon in the streets.”

With that he had finally gotten to Gerard’s skin. 

“That’s impossible.”

“People have seen it. My familiars. I’ve felt it too. I’ve been sensing its presence for a while. Do you want to know more?” 

“You're lying! He's trying to distract us, Gerard! That can't be! Don't listen to him!”  
Mikey yelled. His words were firm, but his voice sounded like he was close to tears. 

This made me question my position again. Was I on the winning team still? Where did demons left me? I looked at my surroundings hoping to get some answers. Instead of learning from them, I was only being left with more questions to ask. Everyone around me had blank expressions.

“I don't buy it”  
Gerard had said.

Not a single worry on his expression. Just a subtle flush on his face from the alcohol. 

“If you want things to be this way…”  
The creature started but was interrupted by the other man. 

“There is no other way. We had our fun. This is where it ends.”

“As you please”

What was next caught me completely off guard. It figuratively (and literally) knocked me over my feet.

The creature growled loudly. Then its face started twisting. The fractions on his face were being deformed. It was turning into something grotesque. It had taken a shape that could not be human. Of something very ugly. His mouth looked so much larger now. When he opened it, he displayed long yellow teeth? They looked larger than the teeth of any animals I had ever seen. _Must be the teeth of the best carnivore in existence,_ was the dark thought I had.

It screeched at us, producing a sound that made me cover my ears in pain. It was unlike any cry I had heard. It was wearing me out. Making me feel ill. Making me feel disoriented. That seemed to be the reaction that it was trying to get. 

That sight of that unholy creature… Screeching with those disgusting fangs out... Getting closer to us… It made me back away. My stomach was bothering me now. I needed a moment to compose myself, throw up, and maybe cry. But my reaction only made the creature gain interest in me. I was the weakest link - the creature knew it instantly.

It knocked me down. In only a matter of seconds I was overpowered by it. The creature was on top of me, showing me those god-awful fangs. Screeching and making me feel astonished. It made me yell and shake in fear. My attempts at moving away from him were in vain. The creature was stronger than I could have ever imagined. 

“Not him! Not him!”  
Gerard tried to rationalize with it, but the creature didn't answer back. I couldn't see Gerard at all. All that I could see was the creature’s horrifying face. It was all over me.

Pitch black eyes. A mouth so big that it could devour a child. The fangs that were so large that they shouldn't have been able to fit in his mouth. The smell that came out of him: the smell of pure death. Of thousands violent deaths. Of everything foul on earth. Of absolute darkness. Of the end.

Drool came out of his mouth dripping into my face. The smell was so bad it nearly made me gag. 

Somehow, some ungodly way, the fangs seemed to grow even larger. He was preparing himself for the feeding. He was producing more spit than before. It dripped from him in large rivers. I yelled as loud as it was possible. Till my lungs felt like they were going to give up. I squirmed my body in hopes of getting away. None of it bothered him at all. The creature was only focused on my neck.

The creature screeched again. It wouldn't stop. I closed my eyes shut as hard as I could. I could not stomach his presence any longer. I was going to die. I had no doubt of it. I was going to die, and Bob was never going to have closure. I was going to die, and my parents were going to think I was a fuck up.

Until the sound stopped. Completely out of nowhere. And a different liquid started spilling all over my face. Something warm that smelled like copper. Something with a different texture. Something else.

When I opened my eyes, I felt chills all around my body. The creature had a cut all around his throat. Blood was splattering in large quantities around the wound. The thing was still alive, and trying to move, but he seemed to be unable to. A person was holding him into place. 

The creature spat on me. Only this time it was blood. He was puking blood all over my body. The monster was losing its power. It was dying right in front of my face... 

I screamed in utter horror. 

Gerard strikes with the knife again. This time it seemed to be more effective. Now that he had already made the initial and second cut, the creature seemed to grow weaker. The next hit made a disgusting creaking sound, of what I can only assume had to be bones. The creature tried screeching once more but couldn't. In fact, it seemed to be making small sounds in pain. Then the sounds of someone who was losing his breath. Gerard did not care.

He took the knife out. And almost immediately he hits at his neck again. More sounds of creaking. The sounds of the creature’s neck beginning to give in. The sound of the creature losing. Then more of the blood was pouring all over me. This time it rained all over me in full force. It was grotesque. 

“Die! Just die!”  
Gerard would yell in frustration. 

The creature did not respond. His vocal cords were no more. 

Another hit. And another. And another. More blood would pour into me. I kept screaming in terror waiting for it to end. But the blood would not stop. I didn't want to see any more of it. It was so fuckin bad. I couldn't keep my eyes open, my heart wouldn't let me. It was too shocking for me.

He strikes again and again. All over again ‘til his head finally fell.

The head hit the ground making a sound I wouldn’t like to describe. It rolled a few inches away from me. Like a children’s toy that was abandoned. The thing was left on the concrete floor. Tossed away as if it was nothing at all. 

Molko left the world with an expression of absolute fear (and anger). Looking at the head once was enough for a lifetime. I only looked at it for a moment when we were leaving, but the sight never left my brain. It was so appalling that it could not be forgotten. It was one of those things that followed you till your deathbed.

“Are you okay?”

When I opened my eyes, it was over. The creatures mutilated body laid stiff on top of me. Once I realized what this meant, I panicked. My entire body was trembling. My heart was still beating too fast for its own good. And my stomach felt sick. The hysteria had not left my body just yet.

My next reaction was to shove the cadaver away from me. It smelled so foul. The body was heavy, but I managed. The corpse rolled to my left. More and more blood was still pouring from it.

Gerard and Mikey were both standing a few inches away from me. They were examining me with gloomy eyes. While Mikey looked intact after the attack, Gerard wasn't so lucky. His face was covered in blood. His hands were covered in blood. His hair, neck, his shoes, his poor clothes…

It still wasn't much compared to me, though. I was completely drenched in the substance. I probably looked morbid. Laying on the floor shaking, with blood splattered all over me. Something out of a horror film. One that was so scary that it could ruin someone’s night sleep.

“Are you okay?”  
He repeated. 

I looked down for a moment. My clothes were bathed in the creature’s blood. My hands and arms were dripping the substance too. There was no escape from it. I couldn't clean myself with anything. Everything was dyed a deep red. It was all over me. Everything I touched. Everything I saw was red. Every inch of me. It had stained my entire being. So much fucking blood everywhere.

“Yeah. I’m fine”

“Good. We need to get home now.” Mikey looked completely unfazed “Get up. We are done for the night”

“D-did I pass?”  
I asked, looking at them with fear in my eyes. The taste of copper all over my lips.

“We’ll decide shortly-”

“You passed.” Gerard quickly corrected “I mean, you're alive. That was the entire test. Really” 

Passed. That meant I was ready for type B appearances. But how could I be? I was on the ground drowning in blood. From head to toe. My hair dripped the red into my face. My shoes were swimming in it. How could I be someone prepared for type B appearances? Whatever type B appearances were... 

“B-but, you did all the work!”  
Was what I said looking at him in confusion. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to be a part of the “team” anymore. All I knew was that it was time to go home. To take a long shower and never think about what happened again.

“Don't be so modest. You passed. Congrats”  
He offered me his hand next. Then he helped me get up from the ground. It was hard for me not to trip on the pool of blood below me.

“Whatever. Let's go home before mom calls.”  
Mikey said. He was already walking away from the alley.

4

They let me inside their house again. This time their mother was nowhere to be seen. Which I was thankful for. She probably would have not appreciated a bloody tattooed man who smelled like alcohol. 

In fact, the Way brothers didn’t appreciate it either. I was basically forced to “take a shower now for the love of Christ”. If I didn’t, I was going to ruin their furniture. That was a fair warning. It was the least that I could do. Being covered in monster blood wasn’t all that fun anyway. Michael threw a towel at me and pointed towards the bathroom.

The shower drains flowed.  
It took all the red away.  
Blood back to darkness.

5

Once I was out Michael lent me some clothes to wear. A Joy Division shirt and skinny jeans - nothing out of my comfort zone. In fact, I owned the same things myself. Only in a larger size, for sure. Mikey had to be the tiniest size in shirts possible. His stuff looked skin tight on my body. 

Once I reached the basement, Gerard told me that Mikey had already gone to bed. Hearing that didn't make me feel bad. Then he said that I could sleep in the living room’s couch if I wanted to. Which would have been the right decision. But of course, instead of doing that, I kept talking to him:  
“You’re off to bed now?”

 

“I’m not tired. Usually don’t go to sleep till 6 am”

Yeah. I could buy that. He had the bags under his eyes that proved all of it. And he did look very peaceful on his computer. There didn't seem to be any plans for sleeping any time soon for him. Which was good. I did not plan on going to bed either. The long shower had made me feel very awake.

“Nocturnal creature?”

“Have to be. It's on the job description.”

Course it was. I should have guessed. What a stupid fucking question to make. No wonder he hardly reacted to it.

The man was sitting on the bed with the computer on his lap. Focused on something else beyond the room. He was reading from the small monitor. Every couple of seconds he would type something to his chat of friends. What could they possibly be discussing? Ghosts and vampires? The latest celebrity pregnancy? Could it really be that important in the middle of the night?

“Gerard.” I started trying to be louder “Thanks for...everything, honestly.”

“It’s nothing. Doing the job, that's all”  
He kept typing away a message for someone else. The noise made me feel irritated. His friends couldn’t be more important than me, right? He did save me life only hours ago. You’d think he’d care about what I’m saying.

“But seriously…” I tried again, hoping that this time I would get his full attention “You're helping me understand this business and everything, thank you.”

“It's not that serious” he said. “Mikey tends to be kind of…difficult with new people. He’s not trying to be rude. He's just thinks of this as something bigger than it is. But we are low-rent ghostbusters, at best.”

“No, no! You're more than that. You save people, man. You saved me.”

“Like I said, that's my job. I mean... I wasn't just going to let your pretty face **die** and all.”  
As he said this, he finally turned to consider my eyes. He was trying to make emphasis on his last sentence. _Oh._

“That’s not funny”  
Was what I said, but I was smiling right back at him. 

“For real! That helped” He moved the laptop away from him. Now I was more important than whatever was on it. It made me feel a little better. It made me like him a little bit more wanted. A feeling that I didn’t get very often “Someone like you? Wasn’t gonna let anything bad happened to _someone like you!_ ”

The man acted as if I was something worthy of being treasured. Sure, I could tell there was sarcasm on his voice. But there was a different thing on his face. A little bit of nervousness. A little bit of honesty. 

“Seeing you tonight was... something else.” He smiled back at me. That made me a little nervous. But I didn’t stop “You were not afraid at all. It was kinda hot, honestly. Even with all the blood and all….”

And that fear of an imminent death. 

“Well, I couldn't be scared. I had to save you, right?”  
He smiled. I could tell that he was being sarcastic again, but it didn't bother me.

“My mother-fuckin’ hero”

All of the sudden, I had the urge to get a little closer. Because of this I ended up taking a seat on his bed. It made the room go silent. The two of us exchanged looks for a few moments. Neither of us really knowing if we should take the next step. 

But I had to. It was the only time where he wasn't followed by his stupid brother. If I didn't make my intentions clear, then... I was not going to have another opportunity to do so later. Ever.

_Fuck it. You’re going to die soon anyway. Fuck it. None of this matter._

So, I leaned in for a kiss. Because that what you do after a man saves your life in a movie. And if there was a thing that horror movies got right, it was that. It felt natural. It felt like it was exactly what was supposed to happen. 

But it didn’t mean anything. Our lips touched for no more than two seconds. The connection was barely there. It just made me feel peaceful. Safe. This complete stranger saved my life: now I get to kiss him and go to bed. There was nothing wrong about that. One of my plans had finally gone right.

To Gerard it must have meant something else. Because when I pulled away, he looked at me in utter disbelief. As if I had done something completely crazy. As if he hadn’t kissed me back. I could tell he was into me anyway. There was no need for all the theatrics. _“Like I said, that’s my job”_ echoed through my head. Maybe I was just doing my job too. Whatever that meant.

“Are you doing this because I saved you? Or is this something more?”

“I don't know. Does it matter?”

“No”  
He smiled at me. 

Suddenly, he didn’t seem worried about the subject either. My response must have been what he wanted to hear. Something about the words **I-don’t-know** must have been soothing for the guy.

It was easier that way. If I didn’t have any strong feelings for him, I wouldn’t get attached. If I didn't get attached, I wouldn’t end up regretting the whole thing. Not knowing what we were was a lot better. 

Then he kissed me. Because hey, he was probably thinking “Fuck it” too. 

It made me feel calm again. It was time to only focus on his lips. The rest of it could wait. Now I was pushing back against his mouth. And it made him get even closer to me. His scent - although a cheap cologne you could get anywhere - was so charming. His fingers running across my hair made me feel a little more complete. It was exactly where I needed to be. 

When he pushed his tongue against my mouth it didn’t intimidate me. Immediately I was playing along to it, feeling even closer to him. Getting used to his body. Finally getting to know his mouth. Next, I was running my hands across his clothes, trying to feel more. When my hands traveled under his shirt he didn’t protest. He was making small sounds as I ran my fingers across his back.

Why did my brain think that flirting with this guy could fix things? What I experienced that night was traumatic. It had changed every fiber of my being. Why did I think that distracting myself with someone like Gerard was going to help? Was it the buzz from drinking? Or was it something else? Was it just because I secretly enjoyed fucking my life over?

 

Was there something wrong with me?

“You alright?”

“Better than ever, baby” 

He grinned in response. That seemed to be enough for him. It was enough for me too. After that I started placing more kisses across his mouth “You're insane. You know that, right? You’re-”

“You’re one to talk” 

More kisses. When he tried moving his face it didn’t stop me. I just started sending kisses to his neck instead. He would laugh and laugh, but I could tell he was enjoying it too.

“You should go to bed.”

“We’re _nocturnal_ ” 

“You're all dazed from what happened-”

“I’m not. This is fun, don't you think? Stop worrying”

He was getting flustered now. This time I didn’t went for another kiss. I ran my hand across his tight, feeling his soft skin. He didn't protest. Not even when I was started touching his briefs. He didn't ask any more questions either. Gerard was getting lost on the sensations and I was getting lost on his body. He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath.

I gave him another kiss before continuing. My hand was now on his crotch, feeling his length the best that I could. His entire face was so red. His breathing was loud too. He looked completely out of breath all the sudden. Oh, the man looked so fragile. It made me smile. He wasn’t as strong as he had looked hours before.

“Calm down”

“I a-am”

That made me chuckle, but I didn’t push the issue any further. Didn’t want to make him any more uncomfortable. A little more pressure and the guy would have probably passed out.

“Not gonna hurt you”  
It was difficult to continue. By then I was already on my knees, facing him. But Gerard still look frightened. And even though I had only pushed his briefs down a bit (just enough) he was breathing erratically. Like he could barely control himself. 

“I know! I know! It's just- this is... odd that’s all” 

Odd. That was one way to describe it. The whole night had been Odd. Like a very strange dream. Or maybe a nightmare.

At first, I knew I had to take it easy. Pushing the briefs just a little more. Or Gerard would cry, or yell. Perhaps both at the same time. Once he was exposed I started planting kisses all over his belly. Then the chaste kisses got near his crotch. Not enough to be anything good. Close enough for him to want more. The man remained in silence.

“Is this good? C’mon. You're not gonna say anything? C’mon”

“I-I don't know. Its... weird. D-do I have to?” 

**God, you're a fucking dork** was the thought that popped to my head. I smiled instead.

Once he finally started breathing normally, it was time. I continued with what I actually wanted. His cock was fully hard, and it was tempting me too much. Finally, I took him into my mouth. I wrapped my lips around his length slowly. My mouth stretched so much it was getting painful. But I could handle it. I was no stranger to that pain. _Not at all_. Gerard groaned loudly, but could not form any real words. 

It was better that way. 

I bobbed my head up and down slowly. My mouth was still trying to get used to the feeling and to the fullness. My jaw was aching massively, but I enjoyed all of it. The movements continued till I managed to build a pace. It was slow and gentle and exactly what Gerard needed. The burning on my throat was all worth it. His cock was filling my mouth in a way that made me feel so complete. And so, wanted. 

“Y-you.”  
He called me with a shaky voice. All I could do was look at him. And even as I went lower and lower, the eye contact remained. We were connected in a way.

“Y-You’re s-so good at this” His voice was so quiet and soothing “Is this okay?”  
He said before placing his hand on the back of my head. I didn't protest. Didn't really care. My mind was lost. 

I tried to speed up my rhythm. Tried to take him a little bit faster. He seemed to enjoy that more. His groans sounded more desperate now. And his hand was guiding my head, trying to get even more. He pushed me as far as I could take him. Almost choking me on his manhood. My mouth was aching strongly from the unexpected stretch. I was having difficulty breathing, or even keeping my eyes open. But that didn't matter. 

He was the one who mattered. When he tried pushing my limits, I simply put a hand on his leg. He understood the gesture. The grip on my head wasn't so strong after that. But I wasn’t going to stop. His cock was pulsating inside my mouth. 

“S-sorry got a lil-”  
Then he was groaning again. He left the sentence at that. That was fine by me.

This time I tried to take him even farther than before. To the point where he was filling every inch of my mouth. To the point where I could feel him all the way to my throat. To a point where he was almost making me choke. He pulled my hair very tightly, as if he was holding on it for dear life. This did not stop me. Instead I closed my eyes and tried to take him again.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”  
His seed spilled all over my mouth. The taste was sour and foul, and I tried swallowing it as fast as possible. My mouth was on him till the very last drop. It all went down my throat very rapidly, because I did not enjoy the taste. I liked _him_ though. I wanted him to like _me_ though. Even if it was only going to be momentarily. 

“Told you I wasn't gonna hurt you”

He laughed loudly after I said that. I don't think it had anything to do with what I said though. He was laughing at how absurd the situation was. So I started laughing too. Because hell, things couldn’t get any more bizarre.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one cares but at least i'm almost over posting this <3

6

Waking up the next day was almost peaceful. There was no raging hangover, and I was still with the Way brothers. Sleeping in an ugly couch covered in plastic. Safe. It wasn't a dark alleyway next to a monster. For that, I was thankful. 

When I got up it was already the afternoon. But the Way brothers seemed to have gotten up at a similar hour. By the time I was leaving the couch I could already hear their voices not too far away. The two of them were inside the kitchen talking to each other. Gerard was brewing some coffee as if it was still morning time. Mikey was reading the newspaper. That sight made me feel a little calm. They were fine. Everything was fine. We were all alive. Somehow. For that, I was thankful.

“Wait a few more days, I’m telling you”

“But there's already videos of gameplay and shit. It seems fine, the reviews say it's fine.”

“Don't be naive. The first reviews are always fake as shit”

Clearly the conversation seemed to be focused on something important. Instead of interrupting, I just took a seat next to Mike. Michael glanced at me for a moment, then went back to his newspaper as if he hadn't seen anything. Last person to notice me was Gerard. 

“Morning” 

“Morning”

Mikey didn't follow the gesture. Instead, he tried to push me into the original conversation that they were having.

“Say Frank, would you buy a videogame on the first week of its release? Or would you wait a little more?”

“Hmmm”   
I started scratching my head for second. That was not a conversation I wanted to be in.

“Keep in mind that the only reviews available now are lukewarm.”

“And they're all fake. All those shitty pages never give games bad reviews. They just want you to buy shit”

The Way brothers looked at me closely. They were waiting for me to solve the entire thing after just waking up. I was not ready for any of it. Without any coffee, I was barely even human.

“Jesus. I don't know. Don't really play videogames much”

Mikey instantly turned to Gerard after I said this. As if he had caught me committing a crime. Shouldn't have expected anything else. Gerard looked away for a moment. Then he went back to the coffee machine.

“Forget it then”

“I-I don't hate video games either, you know” I quickly clarified “I don't have the time or the money, for that stuff. That’s all. I mean, how do you guys do it? I’d figured the hunting lifestyle was too busy for that” 

“Gerard quit his job and now he’s playing every video game known to man”  
Mikey answered this as fast as possible, in a way of a child trying to be obnoxious. He pulled his newspaper down too, since this needed his full capacities.

“Not at all. I don’t do shooters.”  
Gerard was looking at me when he said this, as if he was worried that I took Mikey’s comment seriously. 

“So. Videogames and vampire hunting?”

“Pretty much.”

“You guys really are really _living_ ”

The man simply nodded to confirm my statement.

“That’s me though. Mikey gonna be an engineer.” Gerard started but it made Michael pick up the newspaper again. The older brother seemed very excited talking about this. As if it was his own achievement “In no time, he’ll be building things and shit. That’s so wild, uh?”

“Computer engineers don't do that at all”

“Don't be modest!” He then turned back to me. “So, when he finishes school, it's going to be only _me, videogames, and vampire hunting_ ”

This guy is such a catch.

“Computer engineer” Michael clarified again “Computer engineers literally don't do that”

A few days prior to this conversation, Mikey and I had talked through private messages. As I promised I gave him the info to contact my friend Jamia. Of course, after already alerting her that I was going to do so. Mikey had said thank you but nothing else. The guy probably ran to send the girl messages immediately. Jamia didn’t say anything about it. Neither had he. 

Now that I knew a little more about him… I was certain of one thing. Jamia had **not** been interested. But then again, Mikey was at least going to be someone one day. He had a future. He had plans. He had a job waiting for him. Gerard was not as ambitious. So why the hell was I only staring at Gerard?

1

The following matters were not too interesting. Their conversation went back to focusing on video games. This even though I had stated my lack of interest in such things. Perhaps videogames are the only thing that they know how to talk about. I didn't really participate much. They would ask me yes or no questions, maybe ask if I knew of certain “classic”. I mostly said yes and looked somewhere else. That was it really. 

Maybe they didn't want me to participate. That was also possible. 

They seemed to be having fun talking to each other. There was laughter and smiling. I didn't understand much of it. The moment they started discussing PC video games I zoned the fuck out. I was drinking coffee and thinking about literally anything else. It was so boring. Somehow Mikey and Gerard made it seem like it was the most intricate issue ever.

As they continued talking to each other I got lost in my own thoughts. _I don’t belong with these people. No way. They know that too. That must be why they are leaving me out of this conversation. They know we have nothing in common. They probably don't even want me inside their house anymore._

I stared at Gerard. The movements of his hands were erratic. He expressed himself with his hands a lot. And his face. Jesus, his face would light up so much. Whatever he was talking about, it was clearly something that he was passionate about. 

“You have to get ready to get your ass kicked. It’s like with Soul Sucker II. You have to get good somehow.”

Did I really kiss that dork? And tried to sleep with him? He lives in a basement. _Fuck_. I may have the most unstable job situations ever, but at least I don't live in my mom’s basement. At least I have some goals. My life doesn't revolve about videogames and murder. This guy is never going to amount to anything. 

He's a loser. What's the matter with me? He’s chubby and he lives in a fuckin’ basement. And he won’t stop talking about the same thing repeatedly. I should go. This whole thing is so stupid. 

“Right, Frank?”

Why do I like being with him?

“Yeah, yeah.”

I don't belong in this place. It could get me into something real dangerous. Yesterday I nearly died. There's no way I’m cut for this. I couldn't even kill a bunny when I was younger. How am I going to handle the undead? I could barely even stand near Hanlock’s house when I was younger. How was I going to fight the creatures inside it?

My eyes drifted back into Gerard’s lips. If someone like him can deal with this… what does that say about me? He isn't athletic. He doesn't seem very smart. He's not the type of hero that the horror stories describe. 

What am I doing here? 

“Can I ask you something? It’s kinda personal”

“Go ahead”  
By this point in the day, he was going through his third cup of coffee. His mug was empty every fifteen minutes or so.

“How did you get into this? I mean, it seems so insane”

_And. You don't look the type. You don't look the type at all._ I wanted to add. But really, I wasn't the type either. Come to think of it, the “type” probably did not exist. Handsome, clever, and with a huge heart. An orphan of some kind. Fearless. Gets the girl in the end. All that good stuff. That part has to be fake. 

But the monsters aren't fake. 

It's a weird position to be in. The movies don't feature losers like us. Maybe a few comedies, I don't know. But most of them feature the classic type of hero. And Gerard doesn’t fit that mold at all. Let alone socially awkward Michael and his (soon to be) engineer degree. Let alone someone like me.

“Well, it wasn't really a choice.” It took him almost a minute before talking again “When my grandmother died… I was kinda pushed into this”

He seemed pretty upset now that the subject had changed. It made me feel bad to see his smile fade away. It didn’t seem like a story that he liked telling.

“I’m sorry”

“It’s okay” He shakes his head for a moment, then he continues with the story “She died, but she wasn’t _gone_. She would appear in the middle of the night. She would talk to me. But only me. Mikey could sense her presence, and hear a few noises. But I was the one that got to really see her. And she would only really talk to me.” 

“Did you tell your parents about it?”

“They didn't believe me. They could tell that something was wrong with our house, but they refused to believe that it was her. I can’t blame ‘em. Those weren’t easy times for them either.”

“How long did it…?”

“A little less than a year. You see, she wasn't… She wasn’t my loving grandmother anymore. The things that she would tell me were not pretty. She was bitter. Sad. Miserable. I don't know. I didn't get it, I thought it was all my fault somehow. That I was saying the wrong thing...”

“I'm sorry”

“As the time went by, things got worse. She would break things in the house, mess with our stuff, keep us up at night. We couldn’t have people over anymore. It was her house. That's when we really started to worry”

“After the fire”  
Mikey commented, but I couldn’t understand what he meant. Gerard didn’t explain it either. It was obvious he understood it though. That seemed to be a story that both of us knew very well.

“She started asking me to do bad stuff - violent stuff. Bad stuff. That's when I talked to a priest about it.”

“What did he say? Did he help you?”

“He made me… Come to terms with what was happening, I guess. See, my grandmother was an amazing person…” He felt the need to specify “Her ghost **wasn't**. It was a vengeful spirit and it caused misery in our house. Once I understood this, I knew that it was time to let go completely.”  
He was looking down, as if he felt shame.

“Mom was at work when it happened. It was just the two of us. Watching that... _thing_...disappear. The priest did all the dirty work” Mikey then added, as if he was trying to convince himself instead of me “ _It wasn't our grandmother._ ”

“I’m so sorry, guys. I didn’t think this would be so personal. Did things get better after that? Did everything end there?”

“In a way, that’s when things sort of started”

“Yeah. Mikey and I became obsessed with the paranormal afterwards. He would read the books, I would watch the movies. We started going on missions during our teenage years. Basically, mimicking the priest’s actions, and what we had seen in the horror films.”

“So, it started with getting rid of her. Then couple of years later we were actively looking for things like her. Learning every detail about them. Keeping track.”

“I don’t know what to say. Fuck, I shouldn't have asked anything at all. That must have been so rough” 

“I don’t mind talking about this. Mikey thinks we’re the second coming of Peter Venkman, but we are not. We are just weird kids who get into weird stuff”  
He took another drink of his coffee. 

“I don’t think you’re weird. You’re special” Gerard laughed at my comment “I’m serious! You are!”

“Nah. Mikey’s better than me at this”

Mikey didn't say anything, **positive or negative,** regarding that. 

“So, you don't mind the dumb questions?”

“Not at all. Ask away anything, I promise.”

“Alright.” They both look at me with surprise on their faces. They probably didn’t expect me to continue with the questions “Just one more. What happened to the demons?”

There was a tension in the room. It was as if I had said a horrible word. A word that should never be uttered. A scary word. A very scary word to them. The absolutely unthinkable. 

“Who-?”

“Why do you need to know? Who needs to know?”   
Mikey was looking at me with judging eyes. His voice was loud and stern. It was obvious that he didn’t trust my intentions. 

“I don't! But the vampire talked about them. What happened to them?” 

2

There was a short pause. The Way brothers looked at each other looking for some support.

 

“There are no demons in Belleville.”  
Michael said sternly. Trying to make it sound like a fact. 

This answer only made me want to ask more questions. But Michael didn't seem eager to answer them. The mood in the room was dead. Everyone looked fuckin’ miserable. This conversation was only making them feel uncomfortable. 

“We killed them. All of ‘em”  
Gerard was quick to explain for me.

His words made me feel ill. It sounded surreal. Before I could even ask for an explanation, Mikey continued:   
“You don't understand. We can't have them around here.”

“We can negotiate with the vampires, the wolves, the witches, all of that. They don’t kill for fun, or not entirely. They do it for survival, rites or even self-defense. We understand that. We can rationalize with that. Demons don't work like that. They exist entirely to create chaos. They kill, destroy and cause misfortune for their own amusement. We can't make a pact with _them_ ”

The way he said “them” catches my attention. Michael seemed disgusted to even think about their kind.

“They’re creatures of evil. Not just monsters: they are _completely_ evil.”  
The older brother said. There was so much darkness in his eyes for a moment.

“But what about the balance of this place? If you let other monsters here, it seems strange to kick all the demons out” 

“Having them here messes everything up. Demons do whatever they want. They cause as much violence as possible. They make creatures fight each other. They make innocent humans interact with the creatures. They make creatures hurt people they shouldn't. They manipulate everyone surrounding them” 

“So, the solution was to kill… all of them?”

“It had to be done.” There was not a trace of shame. He looked completely at peace with what he was saying “It wasn't easy, either. Priests and other fanatics were involved too. My brother and I simply helped the cause. It took years before Belleville was cleansed. But once it was, monsters could live here mostly in harmony. We want to keep things that way.”

“With murder. That can’t possibly be okay”

“It's a way of protection. You’d know.”  
Mikey pointed out, referencing the traumatic events I had experienced. It doesn’t make me feel any better. 

In fact, I wanted to forget all about it already. Hearing that comment made my heart ache for a moment. My head wanted to get rid of all memories from the night before. All the blood. All the fear. All of it needed it to be scraped off my brain.

“I mean, I understand killing rogue monsters. I do! But not destroying an entire...section of them? Species? That seems excessive.”

“You don't know what they're like. They cannot be trusted.”

“It just sounds...cruel”

“Good thing you’re not in this business then. Right?”  
Mikey was quick to point out.

“Right.” 

3

By six o'clock I was already at home resting. My apartment was an absolute mess. My phone had multiple missing calls from my mother. There were unpaid bills scattered all over the room. And there was still a pain in my heart that nothing seemed to fix. Those were things that I didn't want to deal with at the moment.

There was another thought luring over my head. That, soon I was going to come back to that horrible house. Who knew if I was going to survive this time. _You’d know_. Did I even want to survive anymore? 

I didn't think I would. I didn't deserve it. Maybe this time Gerard wouldn't be so fast to save me. Maybe Bob’s spirit wouldn’t be so nice. 

Before going to bed I scrolled through my text messages. Jamia now had plenty of questions regarding Michael. There wasn’t much I could tell her. Matt had asked me about my weekend too. There wasn’t much I could tell him either. Didn’t even bother to open my mother’s message.

An old friend had also sent me:

“Hey. I've heard about what happened. Wanna talk?”

That was Ray. He was also in the old band. When his wife got pregnant he had to call it quits. Although he stopped being a member of the band, he did remain in contact with Bob. Bob would mention him pretty often. They seemed like good friends.

For a few moments I considered calling him... 

Instead, I took some time to think about everything that had happened. I had nearly died hours before. No one knew about it. Could I even tell someone? _No chance in hell_. It was weird to think that the Way brothers dealt with this every other week. 

It was so painful. And stressing. Maybe talking to each other was what kept them sane. That would make some sense. They trusted each other. They would die for one and other. Talking about those things probably was natural to them. But I didn't have that type of relationship with… anyone. At least not anymore.

Perhaps Ray would understand. Or at least he could pretend to. He seemed like a good guy. Calling him would be the right thing to do. Even if he thought I was crazy, at least I could vent. God knows I needed to vent about everything. The Way brothers, the vampires, Bob and all the other horrors in my life. Talking would be for the best. 

But instead of that, I ended up falling asleep with the phone in my hand. I got so close to calling. But I couldn't. Part of me feared that it could be my last time talking to Ray. If I was going to die soon, I didn't want Ray to remember me like a damn maniac. 

The last words you say to someone are important. I didn't want Ray to remember me for saying “My life is crashing down” and crying on the phone. That’s a huge burden to put on someone. It was best to stay quiet. 

Last time I had seen him we were rehearsing in his house. It had been a good time. Bob had been there too. It was best to keep him with that memory.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ones super short because i suck at dividing the chapters. next one is much longer than this. anyways, only one more chapter to post and its all over :) <3 cya tomorrow

4

We parked Donna’s car a few houses away from Hanlock’s. The older Way brother was the one driving. The younger brother was in the front passenger seat. They had _me_ sitting in the back of the car, like a child. Because I was not one of them. I was barely even a spectator to them.

The streets looked empty. It wasn’t too surprising, considering it was about three am already. The neighborhood was deeply asleep. If something bad were too happen, nobody would notice. Just like the last time.  
“So, what are we gonna do?”  
Was my first question. The Way brothers turned to see me.

“What- the hell do you mean with that? You guys didn’t read my fucking messages, did you?”  
Michael pulled out his phone, looking for the document.

“It ain’t rocket science, guys. We get in, find what we want, we get out”

Gerard was making this seem simple, but it wasn’t. I knew damn well that it wasn’t. Because Bob had done the same thing. That house was not going to be easy to deal with. We needed a lot more than luck and common sense.

“So, there's no plan? Like, with steps and everything?”  
I asked again.

Mikey and Gerard looked at each other like I had said the dumbest thing in history. They laughed between each other. It was clear that they knew something that I did not. This didn’t make me feel any calmer.

“No, there's no strategy! We don’t need those things, man. Stay alive, that’s all”

“You can read my doc if you want. It has a few notes from other cases, but that's it. It's not actually a **plan**. It's a heads up! You should have read it. If you had bothered reading my files, you’d know how this works.” Well I fucking didn’t and we don’t have time left. “We are not spending more than an hour inside that place. Its: we get in, we get out, as you said”

“Can’t you talk to the spirits there? Ask for some help? Make things easier for us? Faster?”

“Oh Frank,” He looked at me as if I had said the most innocent thing in the world. “Frank, Frank.”

“It doesn’t work like that”  
Mikey explained.

“Why not?”  
There was legitimate anger in my voice. My patience was wearing thin.

“Ghosts are assholes. Most of them, at least. They don’t want to hear about our human melodramatics. They mostly tell me gibberish, curses, things like that. They taunt…They don’t want to be friends with me, y’know.”

“But - have you tried talking to the spirits in Hanlock’s house? Ever? How do you know that they're going to be like that?”

“We know, Frank. We just know”  
Mikey said.

“I’m sorry Frank. I didn’t mean to mislead you. I’m not special like that. I'm not gifted”

“Have you tried talking to them? Try again. Try again!”  
My plea didn’t change much.

The two of them did not seem any interested in doing so. They looked at me with disappointed faces. As if they thought I should be smarter than to ask for that. As if they thought I was only wasting their time.

There was some silence in the car. No one quite knew what to say. Gerard sighed loudly, like he was doing a chore he didn't like. Then he said:  
“I've been in that place before. They are not friendly, it won’t go anywhere. I'm sorry.”

“But- what if you tried talking to Bob only? That could work.”

Gerard looked down. The younger brother rolled his eyes. No matter how much I tried, nothing I said was going to change their minds.

“It won't be the Bob that you knew, Frank” Mikey explained. He had told me that before. He must have thought I needed it again “You need to understand that”

“But if you tried-”

“Frank.” Gerard was getting frustrated now “You don’t know what it's like. The ghosts that haunt these places aren’t welcoming. I can’t change that”

“Taking you inside is already dangerous enough”

“Yeah, we really shouldn't have gotten you into this. You need some guts for this”

That didn’t make me feel any better. I looked down, feeling guilty.

“You-” Mikey asked, I still didn’t look up “You got the money, right? “

“I couldn’t get it yet” The younger brother groaned. “But if you give me more time, I’m sure that-”

“You lied” He screamed “You were supposed to get the money, man! We’re not going to this over- over **nothing!** ”

“We could find something inside the house that…”

“We’re not stealing haunted shit! You don't get it, man! Gerard, you can’t possibly defend this”  
The Way brothers were not pleased with the situation. And they did not feel ashamed of discussing it in front of me. Inside a locked car. In front of the neighborhood we were not supposed to be in...

“I mean,” Gerard argued “we’re already here…”

Finally I looked up. There was still some hope.

“Gerard, no. Absolutely not!”

“You don’t have to come, Mikes. But I kinda wanna do this”  
He was looking straight at me as he said this. The man wanted me to listen to his words closely. It made my heart beat faster. It made me gulp.

“Why?! Why would you possibly-?”

“Because he **NEEDS** this!”

Silence. Everyone in the car was silent again. All agitated. All not knowing what should happen next.

What was sure was that we should not stay there any longer. The house was facing at us menacingly. Either we were going, or we were driving the fuck away. Most importantly...Donna Way was waiting for them to get back at any second. That was a ticking time bomb.

“We do this. We do this! But if things get anywhere hostile, we get the fuck out. No hesitation. We’re OUT.”

Gerard and I nodded in agreement. It sounded fair enough. But there was no way that things were going to be that simplistic. For the first time ever, I wished that I had read Michael’s text message earlier. I did need some (any) type of heads up.

5

There was no need for theatrics. No damn jumping fences or breaking windows like animals. No. We entered from the front door. No knocking, no nothing. We went in like we owned the damn place. The door was, _of course_ , open. Whatever was in that house didn’t fear us. We were three men in near pajamas and working boots.

The Way brothers were carrying lanterns. Real ones, that weren’t going to die out after a few minutes. They knew better than to use their phones (unlike me). This time I could actually see the damn living room. We all got together in the center of the room. We reunited there for support even though we had only spent a few minutes inside.

“Where to now?”  
Mikey asks.

“Frank?”  
Gerard points the light towards me.

“I don’t know. Why would I know?”

“You’re the one who got us here!”  
Mikey fights back to defend his brothers reasoning.

“How the hell am I supposed to -”

“Guys!”  
He asked for some silence. We both looked at Gerard in confusion. Something had scared him. Then we looked around the room...

Shadows. Shadows all over the room. Suddenly, I wished that the Way brother had not brought the lights. Because thanks to them, we could see those god-awful shadows surrounding us. The shadows seemed long and dark as night itself. They were moving in circles around the living room. Surrounding us.

Ten. I counted ten in total. Still, the fear made it feel like there was an army against us. Ten mysterious figures that owned the place. They would get near us, but then would stop abruptly. The three of us were in silence, waiting for whatever horror the house was going to throw next.

And it was quick. The ticking noises. It started as a soft noise, but it grew louder and louder. It made the figures move quicker. It made me feel like I was going to have a heart attack at any second. We felt trapped. We felt like we had already lost.

“G-Gerard?”

The man didn’t respond me. Gerard seemed to be focused on something else. Something beyond the gruesome noises and the shadows. Something more important. He was looking towards the ceiling, as if he was closely focused on something. But when I looked up to see what the issue was, there was nothing. The ceiling was too dark to see anything at all.

Still. Gerard kept staring. He was having a hard time breathing. This only made me feel more anxious. It all seemed to be aligned for a second. The movement of the shadows, the loud ticking, and the way that Gerard’s chest would fall and rise. Everything was sucking me in. Making me feel like the darkness of the place was taking over me. Like I was never ever going to come out of it.

“G-Gerard? What do we do?”  
Still no response. The man was paralyzed by something else. Something beyond what we could understand.

“Are you okay?”  
Mikey tried too.

That seemed to be enough. Gerard looked at us. Finally, out of the spell. His expression was somber now. Last time, he had seemed fearless and relaxed. But this time around he looked very worried. That did not make me feel any better.

“Upstairs.”

“I don’t think that's a good idea. This place - it's so much worse now! When we were here a year ago, things were NOT this bad.”  
Mikey was talking loudly, trying to make Gerard listen. He didn’t care if the neighbors listened. He didn’t care if Hanlock listened. He knew there were bigger issues to worry about.

“So…” Gerard turned to me “We are leaving then?”

I knew what response I wanted. And they both knew exactly what they wanted to say. It was written all over our faces. We were scared. It was time to go. The forces in that place were much stronger than any of us. Staying inside that place was a bad idea.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

And then the shadows were all gone. Of course. This did not help my nerves whatsoever. I felt like I was going to pass out. There was so much anxiety taking over me.

My body was giving in again. I felt weaker. And I didn’t feel like I could move anymore. Something. _Something so much stronger._ The Way brothers were not moving either. Something about that place.

The room called my name again. Like the last time. My name echoed the walls of the house. A voice that made my skin crawl.

“Frank?”  
It made my heart ache. It made me want to break into tears. It made all kinds of bad feelings form into my brain.

This time I was going to go upstairs. I had to. The house was giving me a second chance for a reason. I had to. This time, I wasn't going to ignore the calling. If I did so, I was never going to forgive myself.

I turned to where the sound was coming for, taking a step forwards. It alarmed the brothers instantly. Mikey grabbed my shoulder tightly, trying to stop me. He knew that playing along with the house would be bad.

Sadly, I didn't care. I had not gotten so far over nothing.

“Don't go! It’s going to trick you! Don't you fucking go, Frank”  
Mikey yelled in desperation. He was losing his composure now. I could tell he was very afraid. The man was losing it too.

Tik. Tik. Tik. There it goes.

“I have to. I've already failed him once! I can't do it again! I can't. I can't!”  
I turned around to face him. Just because I wanted him to take in what I was saying. It was very obvious that I had already made my decision. I was going to follow along. The fear in my brain was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. A pain that only Bob could relief.

The shadows invade the living room again.

“We can’t help you if you go upstairs! We need to investigate more before-”

“I’m going.”

 **Fraaaaaank. Fraaaaaaaaaaaank. Fraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank.** The house knew that's all I needed to hear. Like moth to flame.

The sound of doors opening and closing again. As if a hurricane had targeted the house. A strong breeze went through the room. It was so powerful that it was difficult to move at first. Then the lanterns went off. Mikey yelled in a high-pitched voice.

But it wasn't going to stop me. The journey was not over. The darkness, the wind, the noises, and the fear, were not going to stop me. This time I was going to be stronger than all of it.

I walked towards the bottom of the stairs very slowly. It felt like an invisible force was in front of me. Trying to make me step back. But I was stronger. I was going.

Now that the house was completely dark, I was merely following my gut feeling. And in a matter of a few seconds, I could already feel the railing from the staircase. I took the first step up.

“Take my hand! I'll go with you! Please, please don't go there by yourself!

Tik. Tik. Tik. And then the windows would open and close. The breeze was colder now. Suddenly all the doors were opening and closing in a violent manner. Including the front door. Safety. It was so close to us. The sound of safety hitting over and over again.

“G-Gerard don’t! This place is in chaos! It's so much worse than before!” You can't go upstairs! We have to go NOW!”  
One of the Way brothers said. One who had lost home on me by that point. Which was the right decision, anyway. I was not the person who needed to be saved.

“I'm not letting you go alone! Don't you fucking dare leaving!”  
Was what the other Way brother told me. To him, I did deserved to be saved.

It was hard to know which one I should listen to. For one, I knew that it wasn’t safe for Gerard to come with me. But on the other hand, I didn't want to be alone either. Who was I supposed to support?

“I’m going up”  
Was all that I said to both of them.

“Wait there! Wait for me!”  
The older brother yelled in the darkness.

“Gerard!”  
Michael tried again. The pain in his voice was audible. The man was petrified with fear.

“No! No! Get on the car! Start the engine-!”

“I’m not leaving you here!”  
Michael sounded in the verge of crying.

“Wait outside! We can’t have you here! Leave us here! Start the engine!”

Mikey hesitated for a moment. On the other hand, Gerard did not. The older brother pushed his brother strongly, almost making him fall into the floor. Michael managed to stay standing up though. He looked at his brother one more time before running the fuck away. The front door was calling him.

It made me wonder if he felt what I felt during my last visit. Where fear was so strong that I couldn’t think straight at all. When running was the only possible option for my brain. Where the adrenaline was what dictated my actions. _When I let the fear win._

Once Michael was outside the house, the wind stopped. The door closed loudly after him, and it stayed that way this time. No more windows and doors closing. It was as if the house was satisfied now that Michael was gone. Perhaps the house didn’t need him at all. Gerard was probably more important. Was I important too? Was I even a main character in this story?

“Frank?”  
His voice was coming from a few inches away. Thank god. He was finally next to me.

We held hands as we walked those awful stairs. The tears wouldn't stop flowing from my face. It was happening all over again. I was having to live it all over again. Only this time, Gerard was holding me.

This time the fear didn't stop me.

We reached the top of the stairs together. Still holding tightly into each other. Still feeling fear in every inch of our bodies. Then we moved towards the place where the screams were coming from.

**“OPEN THE DOOR. FRAAAAAAAAAAANK! OPEN THE DOOR!”**

The voice called. There was so much anger in it.

Only this time, I opened the door.


	6. Chapter 6

6

Inside. This time I got to be inside.

This room wasn’t as dark. There was a blue hue covering the place. I wasn't able to see exactly where it was coming from. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The light was faint, but it was there.

It was enough for me to see Gerard’s face. Therefore, it was enough for me. The light made his skin glow. He looked beautiful. I considered saying it out loud, but it didn’t feel like the right time.

We looked at each other during the first few seconds. We didn't want to walk any further. The fact that we could actually see in this room somehow made things worse. We didn't want to see any more of that awful place.

“Are you okay?”  
He asked. Before I could say anything back he held my hand very tightly once more. As if this gesture could protect me.

“Frank?”  
I could hear Bob say, but he was nowhere to be found. Still, his voice sounded so close to me. It sounded like he was right by my side. But he was not. He was...just...not

The room began to shake violently. Things started to fall down. Furniture was pushed around. And I almost fell to the ground, but Gerard kept me safe. The grip from his hand was tighter now. As the room continued moving roughly, he kept his hand next to mine.

“Don't be scared.”

I wasn't sure why Gerard said that. The room was still deserted. Technically. We appeared to be alone again. The man knew something that I didn't.

“Frank?”  
The voice called again. This time it was a little louder than before.

Then a ticking started. Tik. Tik. Tik. Like the last time. The sound made my heart pump faster and faster. It was beginning to get engraved in my brain. And in every single one of my fears and nightmares.

“ **FRANK!** ” The voice continued “ **FRANK. FRANK!** ”

I could recognize it immediately. It sounded exactly like the screams of the weeks prior. It sounded like what I had heard before leaving that god forsaken place. It sent chills all over my body. Only this time it sounded even louder. Somehow even more powerful than the last time.

“He's not here.”  
Gerard whispered to me. It took me a few seconds to really _take in_ what he was saying.

“What?”

Crash. Something in the room falls and breaks into million pieces. A lamp, or something of the sort, is what I assumed. It caused a sound that made me jump. But it was probably not something of importance to us.

“He's not here. Your friend. Must be on a different room”

“ **FRANK!** ”  
Echoed the room once more.

There was no way that we were alone. No way. There was something else inside that room. Something ugly.

“Then what is that??”

“Something! Something else! Don't think it was ever human.”

“What does it want?”

“I don’t know!”  
He stopped whispering, yelling this at me. He let go off my hand.

“What do we do now?”

Tik. Tik. Tik.

The room felt so cold. The blue light seemed to be getting brighter. Something felt wrong. Something was changing.

It was as if the room was growing bigger and bigger. And we were shrinking. The room was omnipotent. We were nothing. It was starting to make me feel dizzy. The room felt so big all of the sudden. Oh god, we were nothing.

“Run.”  
Gerard said. His voice was barely audible now. Mere seconds ago, he was next to me. Suddenly, he was so far away that I could barely hear him. At some point we had grown apart. It happened so quick that we didn't catch it.

My legs were trembling. I couldn't tell if the ground was moving. Or if maybe I was losing all balance. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. Regardless, my legs were losing. My nerves were winning.

“Wrong room! Wrong room!”  
Gerard was shouting at me. The panic was taking over him too.

He was running towards me. He held my hand very tightly again. Once more, preventing me from hitting the ground. We needed to leave that place soon. But the door seemed to be so far away all of the sudden. As if it had moved away from us. As if it wanted to run away from that place too.

The more we ran towards it, the farther away it looked. Like the house was escaping from us. Like we were being left behind. In whatever strange dimension we were in. Next to whatever strange spirit we were next to.

“Why can't we reach it? Why!?”

“Keep running! For fucks sake!”

The grip he had on my hand was stronger than ever. He kept me going even though my body was giving up. The man was set in getting us out of there. Towards safety. And towards a place where Mikey was playing rock music on the stereo.

“We can’t reach it!”

It was impossible to keep up with his pace. He was running way faster than I could. I was hyperventilating and only going slower.

But that wasn't going to stop him. With all the will power in the world, he managed to reach closer to the door. After that he started grabbing me tightly, trying to get me to keep up with him. But that stupid door kept going farther and farther away. It felt like only one of us could leave. And I knew that if that was the case, I was going to be the one left behind. In whatever place that I was.

Gerard wasn’t giving up though. He managed to open the door with his left hand, while he held me tightly with his other. In the end, he pulled my wrist so hard that he left marks behind. It wasn't painful. Not at the time. My focus was entirely on the door. And on not falling the fuck down. He pushed the door and pulled on me again.

Then we were out. It was a bizarre experience. We did not walk outside that room. It was as if the room itself pushed us outside. We collapsed on the hallway floor. As if we had been spat out by _something_. The door closed loudly. After that there was the sound of someone locking it behind us. As if the person inside was furious.

“Let's go home”  
The man said as he started regaining his composure.

“I need to stay here till-”

“No”

“You know where he is! You know things.” He started shaking his head “Like, that it was the wrong room. You know he’s here!”

“Let’s go”

“No! If you don't want to go that’s fine. Tell me where he is and-”

“I don't know where he is! I can tell he's somewhere in here. But-”

The ground was shaking again. As if an earthquake was hitting us. The entire place was shaking. The paintings in the walls were falling down and breaking into pieces. Reality was losing its balance again.

“But-”  
He tried to remain calm. He was holding tightly to the walls for dear life.

Things were not over. Small cracks were appearing on the building. And more stuff would break. Loudly. The shaking occurred two more times. It was enough to destroy all the things on the hallway. But not us.

“But- He's not alone.” He continued “There are other presences in this house. I can tell he's here, I can! But- It's hard to tell the voices apart from each other.”

“Can’t you just focus on him?”

“It doesn't work like that!”  
The man seemed to be under a lot of stress. Explaining to me the way his **gift** worked was not something he wanted to do.

“Find him!”

“I can’t! Everyone is talking at the same time, Frank! And they - they call your name, my name, they… they fuckin’ want us here! That's not good! We have to get out of here!”  
He was yelling so loudly, trying to get me to give in. But it wasn’t going to be enough. No berating in the world was going to change my mind.

“If you focused -”

“Doesn’t fucking work like that! Let’s go! Let’s fucking go!” He insisted. It looked like he was having a breakdown right then and there “My head hurts so much! This shit is killing me, man. I’m getting so weak. I’m becoming useless. Let’s fucking go!”

“I’m not leaving.”

Creaking noises came from the stairs. The sounds of a stranger trying to get closer. That couldn't be good.

In fact, the sound made Gerard sigh loudly. As if he knew exactly what the sound meant. He must have been hearing things that I couldn't. The man looked at me for a moment. As if I could give him some answers. But I didn't know what was supposed to happen next either. I was blank.

“Let me try something.” His expression changed after this. Whatever was coming next, made him uncomfortable. “Can you try...Talking to him?”

“What? I can't hear any of it! How am I-?”

“I don't know! Tell him something! Something that will get him interested” Then he looked towards my right. “Shut up! You’re not helping! Shut up!”

There was something else in the room getting his attention. And whatever it was, it wasn’t any help. It was strange seeing Gerard yell so vividly to a dark wall. And especially with that startled expression on his face. It was impossible for me not to stare at it.

“Uh? Hello? Bob? You there buddy?”

“Louder!” he turned to me, then to the other wall again “And, shut it!”

“Bob! Man! I-” Gerard was sweating from his forehead. There was blood coming out of his nose. He was probably in tons of stress at the time. It made want to give it another try “Bob! Bob! I miss you man! I miss you so much! You have no fucking idea-!”

The room we had tried earlier was interested in us again. The wrong room. Someone/Something was trying to force the door open. It didn't help with our nerves. The stress was only getting worse than before.

“Shut up! SHUT UP!”  
He was touching his forehead. The blood dripped from his nose profusely. The pain was probably getting worse for him. He needed help. Why can’t I fuckin help?

“Bob! Listen! Its Frank! I love you, man! I shouldn't have left! I love you! I didn't know!  
I didn't know what-...” Then the words came out. The right words “I’m sorry! **I’M SORRY!** I’m so sorry!”

“Frank-”

**“I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY!”**

“Frank, I think- I think I can hear it!”

1

We walked towards a different room this time. One that was down the opposite hallway. No weird noises were coming out of this one. Quite the opposite of it. A different sensation was emitted from that place.

The one thing I knew was that I trusted Gerard. Sure, there was no way of knowing what was going to be behind that door. But Gerard was saying that it was the right place. So, I was going to follow him regardless. Plus, if something bad were to happen I needed to have him by my side.

He could have been wrong. He could have gotten us into a terrible room.

He was right though. Of course, he was. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the man was gifted. Even if he hated every second of it. It was the one thing that kept the both of us alive that night. There was not a single doubt in my mind about that.

We went inside.

This room was quiet. And dark. But this darkness wasn’t unwelcoming. It was a peaceful sort of nothingness. The environment felt very different. The other room made us feel small and helpless. This room was calming. Maybe healing, even.

Gerard didn’t need to tell me that Bob was there. I could feel it. In some strange way, my body, my mind (or perhaps even my soul) could feel his presence. His **essence** was there. It was impossible for me not to feel it around me. After only a few seconds inside, I was breaking down into tears again. I couldn’t help myself. Not even after Gerard tried to hold me. The pain in my heart was much stronger.

“Calm down.” His words were too simple, they didn’t make things any easier. I was shaking my head before letting out another cry “Calm down. Please, calm down. You’re making me nervous. Please.”

“I’m fuck-” I choked on my words mid-sentence, so I tried again “I’m fuckin’ nervous!”

“You don’t have to be. This is what you wanted, right? It's here. Don’t take it for granted. Do what you gotta do, cuz’ we need to get the hell out of here”

He was right. We were lucky that we had gotten so far. It was not the time to stop. The plan was supposed to keep going. Or else…

“Hey man. I’m here. I- I don’t know what to say so I’ll… Hmmm”  
I stopped the sentence there. Bob made no sounds or movements to alert me that he was listening. That made me hesitate about continuing.

But Gerard was growing impatient more and more. The man was waiting for me to keep going. Waiting for everything to be over soon. Bob had to be there then. Just, where? I walked a few more steps, hoping that something in the room would change as I did so. Things didn’t change though. Darkness. Nothingness.

“These past few weeks have been… Something else. When they declared you... _missing_ your mother called me. And… I saw so many old friends. Eddie, Steve, Paul-”

“Is it that important? Cause…”

“Yes. I saw Jamia. I saw your mother too. She was…” That was no good. I stopped that thought right there “We talked for a bit. Drank coffee together at her house. We ate doughnuts too.” _Like you and I used to_ “She wanted to know about you... About the last days before” Then I hanged that thought completely again “If you were happy and all...if you were hanging with the wrong crowd. I don’t know… Am I the wrong crowd? Are you?”

Christ. Bob probably didn’t care about any of that. I sighed loudly, stopping on a random spot of the room. Hid my face under my hands. Then I tried to talk to him again.

“Anyway.” Another loud sigh “I told her you were alright. She didn’t want the details about the night you … I don’t know, I don’t think she believed what I told the cops. Or maybe she didn’t want to. Whatever”

“Frank. Don’t waste our time”  
That was probably a good advice. Thing is, I wasn’t over yet.

“There was something else too. She asked me if I knew what happened to your ring. The one your grandfather gave you. I told her I didn’t know, but I could tell that didn’t make her feel any better. I thought I could find it here. Maybe even find... _you…_ ”

“Frank-”

“And well. Here we are. I miss you man. She misses you too. We all fucking miss you, man. - I’m so sorry. I should have been there for you. But I wasn’t… And now. Just… I’m here now. I’m here **now** ”  
Then I started weeping loudly. The sounds I was making were invading every inch of the room. Maybe even one of the neighbors could hear it. I didn’t care. I cried harder and harder. At some point I was on my knees, covered by the unknown. Still crying. I closed my eyes very tightly for a moment, as if I didn’t want to see Bob anymore. But Bob wasn’t even there. Bob was dead. What was I doing?

“Enough. It’s gone”

“What did he say?”

“We can go”

“Tell me more”

“He’s not angry! He loves you! We can go now. We need to!”  
Gerard was already opening the door again and getting ready to leave. Everything was over. It had happened. We had reunited for a few minutes. And now it was over forever.

“But-”  
I got up from the ground but still didn’t feel ready to leave.

“You talked to him! He talked to you! He loves you! We have to go”

He held my wrist tightly again, trying to push me outside of the room. I struggled trying to go back inside. But Gerard was stronger, and he was getting me out of the room whether I wanted to or not. It was over.

**“I LOVE YOU TOO, MAN. WHEREVER YOU ARE. I LOVE YOU”**

_“FRANK! LET’S GO!”_

2

After that I ran. Just like the last time: I ran till my legs gave up. This time Gerard was right next to me, running just as fast. Screaming too. It was a ridiculous sight. The way children play during recess. To our luck, no one even noticed us. No one else seemed to be on the area at the time. Everyone was asleep.

Everyone was at home. As far away from the Hanlock house as they could. The way a smart person would be.

The only person awake was Michael. And that man was ready to get us the hell out of there.

We got back to Donna’s house somewhere around 5 am - per her request. She didn’t like it when the boys got home late. Apparently, Mikey had some really bad allergies. Things got bad when he stayed outside for too long, and she made sure to remind us of that. Constantly.

At home, Donna asked if we had fun at the party. We simply said yes in unison.

The woman went to bed shortly after. She seemed pleased that we got home, and that Michael was not sick. Her car was fine too, so she could finally rest. She said goodbye before disappearing for the night.

The three of us ended up in the backyard smoking cigarettes. We were mostly in silence taking in what had happened. All of us needed some time to rest too. The night had been very rough on every single one of us. We were trying to look into the sky and forget all about it.

“So…” Gerard started, finally breaking the silence. “We survived. I guess”

“I guess”  
Mikey echoed.

“I guess” I repeated. “Guess I’ll make it to 25”

“What do you mean?”  
The two Way brothers turned to me for a moment.

“My birthday,” I explained to them “It's on the 31st”

“Really?” Gerard had a grin on his face now “On **Halloween**?”

“That sounds dangerous. Bad luck.”  
Mikey did not seem as excited. The younger brother went back to staring deeply at the sky. The morning was going to rise very soon. For now, the sky was painted in light colors. They seemed to distract him.

“What do you mean?”

“Day of the Death? All Souls Day? Halloween?” No response from me. Mikey tried again: “The Ghost festival? Harvest Festival? Day of the Deceased? All Saints’ Day? The celebration of -”

“So?”

“The spookiest time of the year” Gerard explained, unbothered by it. He was also looking into the sky. “It doesn’t have a specific date set. Late October to early November are the worst days of it. It's more like - a period of the year, rather than a single night. That’s why the date varies between different countries - it isn’t something set in stone.”

“Oh”  
Was all that I managed to say back.

“Time is fucking fake too, so. Ghosts are pretty real though” He added seconds later.

“It’s harder to hunt on those days, I imagine. With all of that going on”  
Was what I said after a few minutes. I didn’t want the conversation to die so soon. Even if it was a conversation that I didn’t fully understand. Whatever made Gerard keep talking was good with me.

“Yeah. It's impossible”  
Gerard responded.

“We can’t do anything about it. Spirits are stronger. They come in multitudes. It would be useless to try to stop them.”

“Besides, it’s a special time of the year. We respect it.”  
The older Way brother said. There was a short silence again.

“But if it doesn’t have a specific date... it shouldn’t matter that my birthday is on the 31st.”

“Well, yeah it doesn’t. But it's still October 31st, man. It's bad luck, bad, bad.”  
The older brother defended.

“I’ll stay safe then, I guess. No more vampire hunting for me.”

“What are you doing for your birthday?”

It was a question that I did not want to hear. That thought had already crossed my mind plenty of times. What could I possibly do? Without Bob, there was nothing and no one to celebrate with. And I was not going to make any life-long friendships in less than a month. My birthday was going to be a lonely fucking day.

“Nothing. Maybe I’ll get some drinks. Nothing fancy”

“We could meet or something”  
Gerard said with a smirk on his face.

“Yeah” I smiled back, “I guess we could”

“Do we bring our costumes? This year I want be a wolf or something. You know, like a special wolf though. Maybe one with a leather jacket. Or sunglasses”

“Not you, ugly. Grown-ups are talking.” Gerard quickly stopped his younger brother. I was glad that I didn’t have to be the one to say it out loud. “Just the two of us”

_Fuck._

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

3

Shortly after that Mikey went back inside his house. Apparently, he had a college lecture in three hours or so. And he had **homework**. Tons of homework that he had not even started. Gerard and I stayed laying in the grass, watching the morning start. Neither of us could sleep. After the things we had seen that night, it was not going to happen.

“Are you mad at me?”

“Why?”

“Cause I didn’t get the money”

“Nah. I wasn’t doing it for the money” He stopped “I mean, I was. But only at first. Then it became about wanting to help you. That- that never happens, honestly. Don't know why YOU stayed around _us_.”

“I needed help, I guess. Also, your ass. That also helped. I liked that too”

He laughed very loudly at that. Like he was nervous. Maybe I should have not pushed it.

“So that’s what it's really about, then?”  
He laughed again. I smiled, and got a little closer to where he was. Neither of us were taking the conversation seriously.

“Does it matter?”  
I used against him again, smirking.

“No.”

“I don't think anyone else would have stayed with me in that house. I’m one lucky motherfucker”

“Yeah, Mikey would have left your ass there after the first noise.”  
He chuckled after his own comment.

“Yeah. _He did_ ”  
I could have died if he hadn’t been around. That was what he was hinting at. That night, I had almost died.

“Good thing you got me. Anytime, y’know. Give me a call. If you’re ever-”

“I'm not some damsel in distress either. I can defend myself too”

“If you say so”

“I’m serious.” _I can beat depression, drunk dudes, you call it. I only struggle with the whole undead creature’s stuff. That's the one thing that I need to work on, I guess._ “I’m a lot stronger than you might think. I don’t need a chaperone. And I’m never going to mess with that stuff again”

“That’s a good perspective to have”

That sounded a little too condescending for my personal taste.

“You know something I don't? “

“No. It's just that…” He took a loud sigh “I don't know. Something I’ve noticed throughout the years… It's dumb”

“You can tell me.”

“I think…” He was suddenly talking in a quiet voice “Most people get to live happy normal lives. And y’know, not have to worry about any of this stuff. But then there are… people like Mikey and me. The unlucky ones. Where these things just happen. And it's not a one-time thing. It's just… who we are. That shit happens to us. It can't be helped”

“You’re saying it’s not some… isolated incident?”

“Yeah… Like, I don't think there are any isolated incidents. I think some people are. Isolated, I guess? It's not something that happens once and that's it. It's something that happens to us because… it's the type of shit that happens to us”

“But, there must be some exceptions? Right? I could be an exception. I feel like I am, Gerard. Before this- before this shit I had never gone through any of this. So maybe it's not for me, right? I mean, I-”

“Yeah, that could be. I don't know. I don't mean so much like it's this specific thing that you are born with. Or whatever. There are other theories I got like…”

I was listening to him very closely now. I think that it was only making him more nervous. He probably didn’t have all the answers that I needed. After a few seconds he continued with:

“Maybe… It can be something more like… You're tainted? Like this shit taints who you are? And it's as if _they_ can feel it. Cause once you messed with that stuff, it usually messes with you back. And it's like this whole thing... You’re one of those unlucky ones for life.”

“I don't want that! Can you fix that? Man, I don't fucking want that!”

“Its speculation, really. My two cents, that’s all. From experience. It’s not some exact science that I can teach you. Maybe you're the exception. Maybe I’m wrong about all of that?”

“You don't believe that, do you?”

**No.**

“That's what I meant by what I said earlier. If you're ever into some shit like that again... I can protect you”

That didn’t make me feel any better. I hated everything about what he was saying. The implication was very clear. He was saying that I was going to live the way he did. He was saying things were only going to get worse. He was saying I was just as much as trapped as he was.

“I don't want protection. I don't want any more of this ghost shit. I want out”

“And you are! I don't even know why I bring it up. It’s stupid. You're clearly something that I don't see every day. You're probably different than the other people I’ve treated. I was scaring you, wasn't I? That's my bad. Don't be paranoid.”  
As he said this he tried smiling at me, but I could tell he was still worried. Hell, I was still worried too.

“You wanted me to be the damsel in distress. Again”  
Was all I could think of saying. Maybe that would make things light up a bit.

“Yeah. That's all. But you can still call me anyways, y’know”

“Course I will. You're like a damn superhero!”

“You make this sound so legit. But really, I have no idea what’s happening - ever.”

4

He leads me back into the basement. A place that had once felt grungy and gross. Now it felt like exactly where I belonged. Holding onto Gerard. Surrounded by his dumb movie posters. It was exactly what I needed. The untidiness of the room, the random pieces of memorabilia scattered around: it was all part of the experience. It was all crazy-and-dorky lil’ Gerard. The one who somehow had saved my life.

God, I’m starting to actually like this idiot, ain’t I? That can become a problem real fast.

But how couldn’t I like him? Just a little bit? He was funny, he was honest, and his damn face made me feel so happy. He was smiling and giggling so much in bed, but it just made me want to kiss him even more. He was dumb, and he was cute, and he was making me feel like a damn teenager all over again.

“You have what we need, right?”

“Uh?”  
His smile turned to a frown for one second.

“The condoms? the lube?” Then I sarcastically added “the sex ed?”

“Oh…I think I do? Gimme a moment”

Gerard started moving things around his room. He would search through the furniture, throwing old clothing and garbage to the ground. It didn’t seem like he had any idea of where he left what we needed. It didn’t seem like he cared about the things he was throwing into the floor either.

“Doesn't sound like you use it very often”  
I was just teasing him, but it made his face go red in embarrassment. Honestly, I only found it endearing. It was part of the fun!

“I do! I do! Not a loser! But usually at motels and stuff, y’know. People usually get turned off by the whole…”  
He was opening multiple drawers, hoping to find what he was looking for.

“Supernatural investigation thing?”

“Uh- the whole living in my mom’s basement shit?”  
He shuffled with the stuff inside one of the drawers. He would throw random things out of it, like candy wrappers and socks. This man lives in actual filth. Why do I like him?

Oh.

“Yeah that's bad too.”  
_Can’t put that on your dating profile either._ Was my next thought, but I feared that saying it would make him feel bad.

He pulled a bottle of lube outside of the drawer. There was distress in his face for some reason. He started reading the label off the bottle silently. Then he grabbed a condom and analyzed it just as closely. He put the thing back, and grabbed a different condom from the drawer. As if there had been something wrong with the other one. Everything looked fine to me though. He stared at the small bag with scrutiny.

“Hey man, do condoms expire?”  
He finally got the courage to ask me.

“Are you serious?”

“I was just asking, not saying that-”

“I'm sure we’ll be fine! Get in here”

He nervously got back into the bed. It was clear that he was still a little scared. He looked paler than before and his face was tense. He clearly didn't do this very often. It didn’t bother me though. I gave him a chaste kiss, hoping that it would help things a bit. I wanted to see him smile at me again.

“I want this to be good.” I smiled before kissing him again. Then he added “Maybe if we tried next week?”

“What? No... Is this scary to you? I thought you weren't afraid of **anything.** ”

It was making me feel a little self-conscious. _I thought he liked me. It looked like he liked me. He has to like me. Why wouldn’t he fuckin’ like me?_ It made me reconsider things. Maybe I had read the entire situation wrong.

“Not anything! I'm still afraid of tons of stuff. I don't know. Unplanned sex? Commitment? Mummies? All of that stuff”

“It's not that serious. If it bothers you, I’ll just sleep in the couch”  
For a second I tried getting up from the bed, but he quickly put his hand on me to stop me. It made me doubt things even more.

“No! I can try to! It's just… You know, it's been a long time and all so… Don't be mad if-”

“I don't mind if you’re nervous, Gerard. I get it. It's fine with me. I still want to fuck your brains out”

“Yeah, tha-that's not helping. I-”  
He was getting red all over again. He tried clearing his throat for a moment, as if he had suddenly felt sickness.

“It's not that serious”  
Once again.

“Hmm”

“I’m sorry. I’m making you uncomfortable, aint I? If you want me to leave you can say it”

“No! Don't go! No, I can do this. I can do this!”  
He was lifting he condom on his hand, as if it was somehow proof. He shoved it near me, like he expected it to change my mind. He looked even more worried now than before. It made me feel bad. I caressed his face for a moment hoping that it would relax him a bit. Anything that would made him feel better.

“Don't be so scared. Calm down.”  
My words did not comfort him, but my kiss did. He reciprocated the kiss with passion. Trying to get some strength from my lips. It only made me kiss him back with even more intensity. My tongue trying to dominate his mouth. He held onto my hair again, passing his fingers through it and pulling at certain times.

When the kiss stopped we were both breathing heavily. Staring into each other’s eyes for what felt like hours. It felt therapeutic. As if looking at him could heal my soul. As if my own eyes were mesmerizing him. It was exactly what we needed.

Getting rid of his underwear was one of the hardest parts. He would start yanking them out, then stop, then look at me for answers. My response was always, of course, to kiss him till the fear was gone. It took a lot longer than it usually did with other people, but it was so much worth it. Once his clothes were gone I ran my fingers all across his body, embracing as much of him as I possibly could. His skin was so soft and pale. I wanted to kiss every single inch of it. And I was trying to. My lips touched his inner thighs, and he slowly spread his legs.

“Let me help”  
He didn’t say anything back, but I could tell he had no problem with it. Thankfully. I opened the bottle of lube and rubbed the substance on my hand. I rubbed my fingertips near his entrance. Then I gave him another kiss - to give him courage, of course. When I slowly pushed one finger inside him, he started breathing heavily. It took him a few minutes to get used to the sensation. Then I was pushing my digits in and out of him for what seemed a long time. He was getting relaxed after a while, which was good. His breathing was going back to normal.

“You wanna do this?”

“Yeah. Course I do. This is- nothing, right?”

“Yeah”

And another kiss on his soft skin. And another one just in case that it wasn’t enough.

It became time to grab the bottle of lube again. One that was almost (almost) completely full. It looked brand new. I poured a lot of it on my hand, more than I regularly used. Things had to be good for Gerard. Then I massaged the substance all over my aching erection. Gerard was looking closely as I did this and it made me smirk. He looked away almost immediately.

After I had poured enough on my body, I lined myself up towards his entrance. This action made Gerard whimper. It sounded like he didn’t want to do so, because he bit his lips and avoided eye contact. Slowly, (in fact, so slow it was killing me) I buried myself inside him. His body was adjusting before taking me in fully. To be fair, this was an agonizing process for both of us.

“Does it still hurt too much?”

“No, th-th-this is fine. You're fine”  
His entire face was completely red. It made me want to kiss him again. Every single thing about him was perfect.

“You’re adorable”  
I said, rubbing his chest with my hand. The gesture made him feel a little better. He closed his eyes and took a very deep breath. He looked so **beautiful**. Once again, I wanted to say this out loud. Once again, it did not feel like the right time to do so.

“Hmmm”  
It took some time before he got used to the feeling. Once he was comfortable though, I kept going. I was trying to bury myself deeper into his heat. He whimpered at the feeling, but didn’t ask me to stop. By then I was trying to build a slow rhythm inside him, so slow that the sensation was driving me crazy. Gerard didn’t say anything, but I could see him biting his lip as the waves of pain hit him. Surely, he was getting used to the burning now.

My body started speeding up, but Gerard wasn’t protesting. He was opening his legs as wide as he could, taking as much of me as possible. He was still biting his lip, but he looked a lot more peaceful. Until completely all of the sudden, the man let out a loud cry. A loud cry that escaped his lips so heavenly. I knew what that was, but I was still going to tease him about it.

“What is it? You want me to stop, babe? Is this too much?”  
As I said this I tried going a little faster, and it only seemed to be making him feel more agitated. He was letting out weak moans before he could even form together a sentence.

“I’m fi-fine! Just- keep going, please?”  
We locked eyes for a second, ending up with me smiling and him looking away. Something was different about him. It was obvious that he was still embarrassed (and a little afraid), but his demeanor had changed. He was enjoying it now. Even though he didn’t want to admit it. His body was very much enjoying it.

“Is this it? Is this what you like, gorgeous?”  
The sounds of our bodies crashing echoed through the room. It was obscene and completely filthy. I ran my hand through his torso, making him whimper a little louder. He wanted more. I could tell from his face that he was getting frustrated.

“Y-yes, y-y-yes” He was talking so quietly. It was as if he was ashamed of saying it out loud. But he just needed to.

He was pushing his legs behind my back, trying to get me as close to him as possible. Making our bodies even more connected. He was also pulling tightly to his own hair. His breathing was heavier. And he would thrust his hips back against the movement of my body. He was getting so lost in it.

“Do you want more, lil’ girl?”  
The name calling was something that I rarely did. But with Gerard it kind of just happened. I wanted to call him every pretty name in the book. He was so fuckin’ cute. Even when he was taking me and struggling to keep his composure, his face still brought me joy. The slight flush on his cheeks, the way he bit his lip so tightly. How he would open his mouth so much when he moaned. The way his body would shake when I hit him just right. He was so fuckin’ pretty.

“Y-yes, more! Please! P-please.”

The sounds he made were even louder now. He was losing it. His erection was throbbing, waiting for any type of attention. But he would keep his hands on his own hair pulling it tightly. He was trying not to touch himself.

“You’re such a good girl. So fucking perfect, you have no idea.”  
With my right hand I got a tight grip of his cock. He was already leaking from the feeling of being filled. He loved it, I could tell he loved every second of it. My movements were becoming rough and he would take everything and still want more. He pushed back into every thrust. His knees even tremble when the sensations became too intense for him.

“Frank!”  
He said my name, and tried looking into my eyes again. He looked so worn out. There was sweat covering his forehead, his eyes looked tired and his mouth was gasping for air. It was a glorious sight. It made me feel so close to the edge. My own body was aching for a release too.

“Give me more than that, babe? Can you be louder for me?”

My hand started traveling through his length slowly. Feeling him leak even more precum than before. He was so much closer now. His body was finally giving in.

“Frank! Ah fuck! FUCK! I i s-shouldn’t!” The firm grasp on his cock got a little tighter. And the movement became more erratic “Frank! Frank!”

It didn’t take him long after that.

“God, you look so fucking pretty. Let me see you cum. Can you do that, princess? Can you do that for me?”

The movement of my hand was rapid now, it was clear that his body couldn’t hold it any longer. It only took a few pumps before he was spilling his seed all over my hand. Yelling so loud that I was sure someone else had to have heard it. I touched him through his orgasm, feeling his length slowly go soft.

It was all I needed, really. With a very slow pace I finished inside him. My seed filled him as I moaned. I was not nearly as loud as Gerard, but it felt like heaven. For a moment there, my entire body was in heaven. He was so perfect.

“Fuck.”

He repeated. This time there was no eagerness to his voice. His voice seemed tired. It had no joy anymore. We still had not moved.

We were in silence for a moment. Now that our orgasm had passed a wave of anxiety was taking over me - again. What am I even doing here? What are we supposed to be now? Are we even going to see each other again? What was any of this?

All I knew was one thing. I wanted to get the fuck to sleep. Be it with Gerard or not. Any type of sleep.

5

It took me an entire week to call Bob’s mother.

What had happened was still eating me alive. The pain of losing Bob still haunted me. Even after all the apologies I gave him, I still felt unclean. My thoughts always revolved around him. My heart still missed his company. No matter how many times I told myself that I should feel fine… I couldn’t get rid of the heartache. My life was going to move on. And Bob simply wasn’t going to be there anymore. That was not the life I wanted to lead.

Bob’s mother probably understood that feeling better than anyone. Still. It felt strange to contact some woman 30 years older than me. A woman who was experiencing a bigger grief than anything I could ever imagine.

“You’re growing roses?”  
It was a dumb observation to make. But I couldn’t think of anything else to talk about.

Her front lawn was covered in bright colors. But the colorful flowers didn’t fit the mood in my heart at all. They didn’t make me feel any better. At least, I was sure that they kept her occupied. That was good. She deserved to have her mind on something that wasn’t-

“They are not real.” She said, smiling for a second. At least my comment gave her some amusement “They don’t grow anymore.” What she meant was that the flowers couldn’t grow on the weather we were having. Or maybe that they couldn’t grow now that Bob was gone. Either way, it sounded right to me “They’re plastic. A lady who lives around here makes them. They look nice, don’t they? Like it's still summer. Don’t you miss summer?”

 _Like Bob’s still alive. Like the band is still together._ I smiled and nodded. They did look nice.

The police had not find anything yet. And they were never going to.

The news didn’t surprise me in the slightest. And from the sad eyes on her face, I bet it didn’t surprise her either. She asked me the same things she had asked me the last time. My answers remained the same.

There was disappointment on her face this time around. She probably expected me to give her some news. Or anything to do with Bob. But I had nothing. I just wanted to see her to make sure she was safe. Nothing else.

“You don’t look so good, dear. Do you need something to eat?”

“I’m fine.”

Apparently, I was not the only one who had visited her. She told me that people were constantly coming and going from her house. They would leave her food, some kind words, and maybe some flowers too. “But the flowers keep **dying** ” she later explained. The fake ones were _better_ , she would say.

She didn’t need me there. No one needed me. Everyone was doing just fine.

6

To most human beings that night was Halloween. To my miserable ass, it was the sign of surviving another year.

My mother had sent me a short text message in the morning. It was the same usual rant about how I was living my life wrong. Telling me that I needed a real job, a partner, and to “start taking some responsibility for once in your life”. For good measure she did add “Happy birthday, Anthony” at the very end of her nagging. I simply said, “thank you” and didn’t bother with anything else.

For the past ten years of my life, Halloween meant getting drunk with Bob. Regardless if we watched a movie, had a party, or went trick ‘n treating, it always ended with us getting drunk. It was a tradition for us. Halloween meant alcohol and friends.

Now, Halloween meant nothing. My other friends had tried getting in touch with me for the occasion, but I had ignored them all. I couldn’t just replace Bob like that. It felt wrong. I still missed my best friend.

I kept Gerard’s promise in mind though. Maybe going out hunting with him would take my mind off that shit. Maybe it would make me relax. Maybe I could die at the hands of a vampire, who gave a shit. Maybe we could get drunk in the end.

But Gerard didn’t call me. I had spent the entire evening waiting for any sign that he was out there looking forward to meet. He simply wasn’t. He had probably forgotten all about me. He was probably saving someone more important now.

It wasn’t going to stop me from going out though. At midnight I was headed to my favorite bar. The bar where Bob and I grew old together. It took several drinks to get that thought out of my head. _Its not working._

Every couple of minutes I would check my cellphone. Don’t even know why I bothered. Bob wasn’t going to text me anytime soon. Nor was Gerard. Or Ray. Or any of the so-called friends I had ignored all evening. After a few more drinks, I sent Gerard a message that read: **You’re beautiful. I wanna see you again.** Thirty minutes later and still no response from him.

Once the phone battery was dead, so was my night. There was nothing keeping me busy. Or even wake. There was no reason to be there. Or anywhere. The drinks kept coming till my vision turned blurry.

During the early morning a stranger went inside the bar. I couldn’t stop looking at him, but I wasn’t sure why. Something about his presence drew me in. For better or worse. The stranger looked back at me and smiled.

Then the stranger took a seat inside my booth. It was strange. His face didn’t look familiar in the slightest to me. I didn’t know how to react.

“Hello.”  
The stranger said.

“Hello”  
I said back. At the time, I had no idea of what I had just encountered. I didn’t know the danger that my life was on. I didn’t know that Bob had been in that same spot months ago.

After all, I had never seen a demon before my very eyes. In my mind, it was simply a stranger trying to be social. I didn’t know that I was sitting in front of the evilest creature of them all.

The man looked to be in his early twenties. He was dressed in a formal suit and tie that looked very expensive. He ordered a single drink, and yet he paid with a 100-dollar bill. I remembered thinking that was strange. And when he took the first sip of his booze, I noticed that he was wearing a ring on his finger. For some reason I couldn’t stop staring at it. Something felt weird.

I wasn’t sure what. But I knew something was off. It was a feeling I was getting used to. Lately, things were are always wrong.

The man was looking at me with a smile on his face. It was obvious that he had noticed my staring. That didn’t make him upset though.

“You want to make some better friends? I know just the place”

It all made sense to me then.

“Tell me about it, man”  
Suddenly, I was smiling back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i planned on writing a part 2 of this pic but idk. maybe for next halloween if i'm still here i'll post a part 2 (but i doubt it). this was fun to write tho. g'night internet.


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